Member of Parliament for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has debunked claims that the Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was forced to relinquish his position.
Speaking to journalists, Mr Akwasi Acquah clarified that the Majority Leader, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, willingly gave up his position after the party reached a consensus with him on taking up his new role as the chairman of Dr Bawumia’s manifesto committee.
“Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has been given a very important role. Drafting the manifesto of Dr Bawumia is a very tedious work and so it is going to be a bit difficult to combine the two – leading the majority and doing that.
“So some of us are at peace that he voluntarily decided to give up the position so he can concentrate on the new one. Well, I was in the meeting and he said he was voluntarily, because there was some form of consensus, there was a crunch meeting and he agreed that he was going to take up the position of the chairman of the manifesto committee which is another serious schedule. So it’s a fallacy and we don’t have to place a premium on the fact that he was forced out,” he said.
Earlier this week, reports circulated about an impending reshuffle in the leadership of the Majority Caucus in Parliament.
Details from the report indicated that the reshuffle was being pushed by the national executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and that the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, was in line to be replaced.
Subsequently, members of the caucus held a press conference on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, rejecting the reports of any impending reshuffle in its leadership.
However, the Majority Leader reportedly resigned from his position barely 24 hours after the press conference.
His decision is said to have been communicated to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during a meeting with the membership of the majority and leaders of the NPP at Jubilee House on February 21 to discuss the way forward.