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A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has said that consultation with members of the party is not a mandatory step for choosing new leaders of the Minority Caucus in Parliament.
According to him, the leadership of the party has the right to choose its representatives, adding that leaders in previous times were not consulted before any change was effected.
Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews, Dr Spio-Garbrah said consultations may be desired, but the party leadership is not obliged to do so.
“I’ve been the Vice Chairman of the party before, and I’ve been the Communications Director of the party at different times in the past, so I understand what’s taking place. People can ask for more consultations. In the past, we were not consulted anyways. Consultations are desirable but are not mandatory or necessary,” he said.
In response to whether or not the Central Region, which has been regarded as one of the kingmaker regions in the country, was a factor in selecting the new Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Spio-Garbrah said that he does not believe that notion influenced the decision.
He added that the newly selected Minority Leader could come from any other region and it would not have made any difference.
NDC on January 24, 2023, made three drastic changes to its leadership in Parliament by appointing new persons for the Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader and Minority Chief Whip positions.
The newly appointed individuals occupying these positions are; Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as Minority Leader, Kofi Armah Buah as Deputy Minority Leader and Kwame Agbodza as Minority Chief Whip.
However, party members are divided in the wake of the change as some lament that there were no consultations in this reagrd.
Some believe that the occupant of the position of the Minority Leader which was occupied by Haruna Iddrisu from the Northern Region, should not have changed at all.
But Dr. Spio-Garbrah explained that it is not uncommon to see such divisions in a party. He stated that although people belong to one political party, they have their preferred individuals when it comes to occupying positions.
Meanwhile, some aggrieved NDC members who believe that the removal of Mr. Iddrisu has to do with a case of ethnicity, have threatened to take immediate action if the decision is not rescinded.
However, the National Chairman of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah in explaining the reason for the change indicated that going forward, especially into the election period, debates will be more about the economy. As a result, the party needs to put its best foot forward by placing specialists in various positions.
In a speech of acceptance which was delivered through a press statement in Parliament, the new Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson noted that he has held “fruitful and positive conversations” with the outgone Minority Leader, Mr. Iddrisu.
He has promised to represent the goals of the party with “unwavering dedication” while focusing also on uniting everyone.
