Confirmed reports indicate that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has altered its parliamentary leadership. Haruna Iddrisu, the MP for Tamale South, has been replaced by Casiel Ato Forson, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee and Member of Parliament for the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region as the Minority Leader.
Deputy Minority Leader James Klutse Avedzi has been replaced by Armah Kofi Buah – MP for Ellembelle, while Muntaka Mubarak – MP for Asawase has been replaced by Kwame Agbodza as Minority Whip.
However, Comfort Doyo-Ghansah and Ahmed Ibrahim have continued in their roles as First and Second deputy Whips, respectively.
However, it is unclear why the fiery Asawase Member, who has served as a successful Minority Chief Whip, is going back to the back bench.
According to rumors, it might be as a result of his heated exchanges with Speaker Alban Bagbin, particularly given how frequently they occurred.
In fact, the Speaker once warned Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka that it would be difficult for him to attract the “eye of the Speaker” in the future when one of those arguments became so hot.
“Minority Chief Whip, you’ll have a difficulty in catching my eye again”, Speaker Bagbin at one point told Muntaka.
The newly National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah in March 2021 stated that the party was considering making changes to its leadership in parliament.
“There is some work in progress. After every election, we reconstitute the leadership of Parliament even if it means reconfirming them. We haven’t done that yet because of the court cases. We started but got to a point and felt that we need to finish with the court cases first. So it is something we are considering. But there will be a definite statement. I am sure by the time, they [Parliament] return from the break, we would have taken this decision”
