Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman and Minority Leader of Parliament, Samuel Arthur Odoi-Sykes, has died at the age of 85.
Odoi-Sykes died on Monday, October 5, 2026, according to a statement from his family.
The veteran politician, lawyer and diplomat represented the Ashiedu Keteke Constituency in Parliament after winning the seat in the 1979 elections. He subsequently became Minority Leader in 1980, serving until Parliament was dissolved in 1981.
His political career later saw him take up the position of National Chairman of the NPP from 1998 to 2001. During his tenure, the party achieved its first presidential election victory in December 2000.
Beyond politics, Odoi-Sykes had a distinguished diplomatic career. He served as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada from 2001 to 2006 and held several diplomatic positions in countries including India, the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom.
He entered public service in 1961 through Ghana’s Foreign Service after earlier working as a teacher and later as an Information Officer at the Ministry of Information.
Odoi-Sykes was also a qualified lawyer, having been called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in London before being admitted to the Ghana Bar. He was educated at Accra Academy, the University of Ghana, the University of London and Johns Hopkins University.
His family described him as a man of “principled character, courage and firm leadership” who remained committed to public service and intellectual independence.
He is survived by his wife, Edith Amorkor Sykes, and four children. Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family.
