Young Bawku Student Picks Mahama Ayariga as Favourite Lawmaker, Sparks Reactions

• A 12-year-old Ghanaian student named the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, as her role model when asked during an assembly
• She said she admired how he speaks from his own intellect and does not rely on reading documents
• The young girl also acknowledged his critical role in lawmaking, saying it made her respect his position even more

A 12-year-old student of an undisclosed school in Bawku has sparked reactions after publicly declaring Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga as her role model.

The young pupil identified as Dorothy Atsu stated this during a school assembly packed with students and teachers.

The schoolgirl was initially asked who she admired most among the lawmakers. Without hesitation, she named the Majority Leader as her favourite.

When asked why, she explained that she was impressed by him when she watched the parliamentary proceedings on the TV.

According to Dorothy, she admired that he often speaks from his own knowledge and intellect rather than simply reading from documents.

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She said:

"Because whenever I watch the sittings, I realise that even though he, most of the times, he doesn't watch or read everything from his document but rather uses his mind to give his sessions and also help in the creating of laws. So that’s what I like about him."

Watch the video of the schoolgirl rooting for the Majority Leader below:

Mahama Ayariga clashes with Afenyo-Markin

This comes amid the rift between Mahama Ayariga and Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, stemming from disagreements over parliamentary procedures and the controversial vetting of the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.

The most prominent clash occurred on Monday, November 10, 2025, during the vetting process when Afenyo-Markin referred to the Chief Justice nominee as a "disputed nominee."

Ayariga strongly objected to this characterisation, arguing that there was no formal dispute before the House and that such language was inappropriate and politicised the process.

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Reactions to schoolgirl picking Ayariga as favourite lawmaker

YEN.com.gh collected reactions from Ghanaians who watched the video on X. Some of the comments are below.

@nhyira_premium stated:

"The children are watching. That’s why our leaders must be careful how they behave. Imagine, some of them will also be choosing another person who may have a different personality. We owe the next generation a better future through leadership and accountability."

@banter_odds wrote:

"Eiii, punch line paaa ooo."

@NanaEssilfie stated:

"That's her choice. Let's allow her."

@LarryBr74105471 said:

"Afenyo will argue this out in parliament."

Ayariga denies Mahama's 3rd-term agenda claim

YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that Majority Leader and Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga dismissed claims that President John Dramani Mahama was plotting a third-term bid.

He described the allegation, made by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, as a fabrication by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking on Citi FM, Ayariga said such discussions had never occurred within the government or the NDC, calling Afenyo-Markin’s remarks misleading.

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He noted that similar speculation existed even before Mahama filed to run in the 2024 election and that some people even threatened legal action based on the same misunderstanding.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh