The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tolon Constituency, Alhaji Habib Iddrisu, has been elevated to the position of 1st Deputy Majority Chief Whip.
Alhaji Habib Iddrisu, who is serving the last year of his first term in the legislature, has become the first MP in the Fourth Republic from the area to achieve such a status.
The promotion, announced by the Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, places Alhaji Habib Iddrisu among the leaders of the majority who sit on the front row in the chamber.
Known for his hard work and results-oriented approach, Alhaji Habib Iddrisu has prioritized the needs of his constituents in areas such as education, health, and infrastructural development.
In his response to the new role, he expressed his determination to do more for his constituency and the country as a whole. He pledged to offer the necessary support to his side for the effective execution of business in the house.
“This though came to me as a surprise, I am optimistic it will spur me on to do more for my constituency and the country at large. I have a responsibility to lend the needed support to the leader of my side and colleagues for the overall development of mother Ghana”, he disclosed.
Following an emergency meeting between the majority Caucus members and President Nana Akufo-Addo, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stepped down from his position as Majority Leader on Wednesday, February 21.
In a subsequent meeting of the National Council of the NPP on Friday, February 23, 2024, where the changes were confirmed, the Suame MP, who is in his final term, was confirmed as a Minister of Parliamentary Affairs despite his resignation as Majority Leader.
Presenting the recommendations and the concurrence letter from the Majority Caucus, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Frimpong Koduah, who was part of the emergency meeting, indicated that the caucus sought approval from the National Council, which convened at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
This process, he added, adheres to the provisions of Order 6 of the Standing Orders of Parliament (2024), as interpreted by Speaker Alban SK Bagbin. The Speaker’s interpretation emphasized the significant role of parliamentary caucuses in leadership selection while maintaining the involvement of political parties in the process to ensure a balance between internal party democracy and parliamentary norms.
According to the NEC’s recommendations, the newly appointed leadership team for the Majority Front Bench will consist of:
- Majority Leader: Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu
- Deputy Majority Leader: Patricia Appiagyei, MP for Asokwa
- Majority Chief Whip: Frank Annoh Dompreh, MP for Nsawam/Adoagyiri
- First Deputy Majority Chief Whip: Habib Iddrisu, MP for Tolon
- Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip: Alex Tetteh Djornobuah, MP for Sefwi Akontombra