Reports indicate that the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, will be appointed as the Majority Leader in the 9th Parliament, replacing the current Majority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, if the latter is confirmed as Minister of Finance, according to a report by graphic.com.gh.

Dr. Ato Forson, the finance minister-designate, was vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, January 13, 2025.

If he is approved as minister, he may not be able to juggle both roles, hence, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in Parliament would need to appoint a new leader.

Following this, Mahama Ayariga has been tipped as a possible successor to the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam.

The report noted that Ayariga's nomination is currently being considered by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership.

Before Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson became leader of the NDC caucus in January 2023, it was Haruna Iddrisu who led the side from January 2017 in the 7th and 8th Parliaments.

When Haruna Iddrisu, the MP for Tamale South, was changed, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, explained that the sudden change was due to the party's restructuring from the grassroots to the flagbearer.

When it became clear that Ato Forson had been nominated for the finance minister portfolio, many, including the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, made a case for Mahama Ayariga to succeed Ato Forson.

Here is a profile of Mahama Ayariga

Mahama Ayariga, a lawyer and politician, was born on May 24, 1974, in Bawku in the Upper East.

He attended school in Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States of America. He also attended Barewa College in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Mahama Ayariga served as Minister of Information and Media Relations and Minister of Youth and Sports under the previous John Dramani Mahama administration.

He holds a Master of Law (LLM) from Harvard Law School in the United States of America and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of Ghana, Legon.

The legislator started his career as a Teaching Assistant in Natural Resources Law and International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana.

He also co-founded and was the Executive Director of the Legal Resources Centre, an organisation that promotes human rights, community development, and social justice.

His journey to Parliament began in January 2005, when he represented the Bawku Central Constituency. However, in 2008, he lost his seat to Adamu Dramani Sakande of the New Patriotic Party in the 2008 elections.

The seat became vacant when Adamu was convicted and jailed for contesting and winning an election while being a citizen of another country, which is against the 1992 constitution.

Ayariga, however, recaptured the seat in the 2012 election.

During President John Evans Atta Mills' tenure in 2009, Ayariga was a Presidential Spokesman and later a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and Deputy Minister of Education.

JKB/AE

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