Samuel Arthur Odoi‑Sykes, the former Minority Leader of Parliament and former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), died on Monday, October 5, 2026, according to a statement issued by his family.
Born in Accra, Odoi‑Sykes began his career as a teacher before joining the Ministry of Information and later Ghana’s Foreign Service in 1961. His diplomatic postings took him to India, the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, where he served as First Secretary, Press Attaché, Minister‑Counsellor, Deputy Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple and admitted to the Ghana Bar, and he also earned degrees from Accra Academy, the University of Ghana, the University of London and Johns Hopkins University.
Odoi‑Sykes entered politics in 1979, winning the Ashiedu Keteke seat and becoming Minority Leader in 1980. He later led the NPP as National Chairman from 1998 to 2001, a period that culminated in the party’s historic electoral victory in December 2000.
He served as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada from 2001 to 2006, further cementing his legacy as a distinguished lawyer, diplomat and politician.
The family described him as a man of principled character, courage and firm leadership, with a lifelong commitment to public service and intellectual independence. He is survived by his wife, Edith Amorkor Sykes, and four children: Cynthia Omaboe, Mavis Amoa, Vincent Sykes and Frank Sykes.
Further details of funeral arrangements will be announced by the family in due course.
