The Minority Caucus has rejected the nomination of Dr. Justice Srem Sai as Deputy Attorney General following a heated disagreement over the handling of his vetting by the Chair of the Appointments Committee.
Led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Caucus strongly criticized the abrupt termination of the nominee’s vetting, calling it unfair and a violation of due process.
Dispute Over Vetting Process
According to Afenyo-Markin, the Chair’s decision to halt proceedings was unjustified and disrupted the collaborative nature of past vetting sessions.
“We are protesting your conduct in abruptly ending the nominee’s vetting just because I refused to withdraw my remarks. I described your ruling as whimsical and capricious, and I stand by it. Your actions were rude and unacceptable,” he asserted.
The Minority further accused the Chair of bias, citing a similar incident involving Weija Gbawe MP, Ahmed Jerry Shaib, who they claim was unfairly interrupted.
Afenyo-Markin also pointed out that he personally faced disruptions from the Attorney General and the Majority Chief Whip, which he said were deliberate attempts to obstruct the vetting process.
“The Attorney General himself interrupted, yet you claimed you didn’t hear him. The Majority Chief Whip also disrupted the session, and despite that, you still allowed him to ask a so-called follow-up question,” he stated.
Minority’s Protest and Boycott
In response to what they see as an abuse of discretion, the Minority Caucus announced their decision to reject the nomination of Justice Srem Sai.
“The Minority Caucus hereby rejects the nomination of the Deputy Attorney General. That decision will be solely yours as the Majority Caucus. Furthermore, in protest, we are also rejecting all other nominees vetted today. Any decisions made will now be yours to own,” Afenyo-Markin declared.
He further hinted that the Minority might reconsider their participation in future vetting sessions if the alleged bias continued.
“Tomorrow, we are receiving the President. Since there will be no vetting on Friday, we will carefully assess our next steps if this unfair posture persists,” he warned.
The unfolding developments have intensified political tensions as the Minority remains firm in their stance against what they perceive as unfair vetting procedures.
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