By Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the Former Majority Leader under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration. He has disclosed the circumstances of his replacement with Alexander Afeny0-Markin.
According to him, the decision was meant to create “visibility for the party in the Central Region.” “The President (Akufo-Addo) said they needed to enhance visibility in the Central Region. They wanted to match up to Ato Forson and Jane Opoku-Agyemang,” he said on Accra-based Asempa FM on March 4.
In February 2024, the National Council of the New Patriotic Party changed the leadership of the Majority Caucus in Parliament. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu, took on the mantle of Majority Leader.
The leadership changes were confirmed at a meeting. The meeting was led by the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong.
This meeting involved members of the Majority Caucus and President Akufo-Addo. They deliberated on recommendations from the National Executive Committee (NEC) concerning the leadership reshuffle.
In the aforementioned interview, the former Suame MP said he learned about the plans to change him. He got this information through eighty of his colleagues in Parliament. They advised him to resist it.
“Eighty of my colleague MPs told me about the purpose of the meeting and urged me not to step down. They promised to stand by me if I opposed the change. However, immediately President Akufo-Addo mentioned the issue, on the spur of the moment, I decided to step down. The President told me that was not his decision but that of the entire party. I stepped down to avoid an implosion in the party,” he recalled.
“President Akufo-Addo added that the General Secretary was part of those who took the decision. He asked him to inform me formally. He did. Immediately after that, I told them I have resigned, there and then. The room became quiet. One could hear a pin drop in the room,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
On whether the decision made sense to him at the time, he said, “Let this cup pass over me….I leave it for posterity to judge.”
“Especially, when I knew that if I did not step down, serious confusion would have erupted in the party. I am glad I did. Otherwise, people could now blame me for the massive defeat. The party suffered this defeat in the December 7 elections,” the former MP said.
