Former Minority Leader and National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes, has passed away.
Mr Odoi-Sykes, a distinguished lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Member of Parliament for the Ashiedu Keteke Constituency, died on Monday, October 5, 2026.
His family, in announcing his death, described him as a distinguished lawyer, parliamentarian, diplomat and statesman who devoted much of his life to public service.
Mr Odoi-Sykes was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in the United Kingdom before subsequently being admitted to the Ghana Bar. His career spanned several fields, including law, education, public administration, diplomacy and partisan politics.
He began his professional career as a teacher before joining the Ministry of Information. In 1961, he entered Ghana’s Foreign Service, beginning a diplomatic career that took him to several major international postings.
He served in New Delhi, Washington, D.C., Moscow and London in various capacities, including First Secretary, Press Attaché, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
In Ghanaian politics, Mr Odoi-Sykes was elected Member of Parliament for Ashiedu Keteke in the 1979 parliamentary elections. He subsequently became Minority Leader in Parliament in 1980.
He was also a founding member of the New Patriotic Party and served as the party’s National Chairman from 1998 to 2001. During his tenure, the NPP recorded its first presidential and parliamentary electoral victory in the December 2000 general elections.
Following the change of government in 2001, Mr Odoi-Sykes was appointed Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada, a position he held from 2001 to 2006.
Born in Accra, he received his early education at Accra Academy before pursuing higher education at the University of Ghana, the University of London and Johns Hopkins University.
The family said Mr Odoi-Sykes would be remembered for his principled character, courage, firm leadership, intellectual independence and longstanding commitment to public service.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs Edith Amorkor Sykes, and four children: Cynthia Omaboe, Mavis Amoa, Vincent Sykes and Frank Sykes.
The family said details of the funeral and burial arrangements would be announced in due course.
