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Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the former majority leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, has explained the internal dynamics inside the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that led to his removal and made it easier for Alexander Afenyo-Markin to take over.
In an interview with Asempa FM on Tuesday, March 4, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu disclosed that he was informed beforehand of the president’s intention to remove him from his position as majority leader.
“Some of my colleagues, about 80 MPs informed me ahead of time that the president wanted me out. Many MPs encouraged me to fight back, assuring me of their support,” he disclosed.
To prevent more rifts within the party, he decided to resign “I didn’t want to be the eye of any storm in the party. I felt I had had enough so I decided to resign and I said it there and then.”
Regarding the incident, he recalled that before the elections, when John Dramani Mahama had not yet named his running mate, President Akufo-Addo called an emergency meeting.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that the president was concerned about the NPP’s declining influence in the Central Region and the need for a leader who could improve the party’s image.
“The president argued that the NDC was gaining ground in the Central Region, especially with Naana Opoku-Agyemang likely to be Mahama’s running mate and Ato Forson taking up the Minority Leader position,” he added.
He claimed that Akufo-Addo thought the Central Region native Afenyo-Markin was a more deliberate effort to counterbalance the NDC’s growing influence.
“The majority of MPs didn’t agree with this logic, but I could see where it was going. I choose to step aside rather than complicate matters,” he remarked.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
