Minority leadership saga: Asiedu Nketiah flexing his powerful muscle on Haruna Iddrisu – Adom-Otchere claims

Paul Adom-Otchere, the host of Good Evening Ghana programme on Metro TV has opined that the reshuffle of leadership of the minority caucus in Parliament is the sole move of National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, with a view to show his Haruna Iddrisu, the ousted Minority Leader where power lies.

In an editorial on the Thursday, January 26 edition of his show, Paul Adom-Otchere identified the motive behind the move by Asiedu Nketiah.

The first one, he claims is a form of punishment by Asiedu Nketiah after Haruna Iddrisu failed to publicly back his bid for the chairmanship role.

The second he says, is a long-term move targeted at achieving the ‘holy grail’ of flagbearership of the NDC.

He asserts that Asiedu Nketiah views Haruna Iddrisu as a threat to his presidential ambitions and therefore decided to chop him off before he became too powerful.

Adom-Otchere is however worried about the development as he believes it does bode well for the country’s development.

“The contest is between Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and Haruna Iddrisu. It’s a political muscle flexing that we don’t know where it is going to end. Asiedu Nketiah is flexing his muscle because he knows Haruna Iddrisu was opposed to his chairmanship.

“He is doing that because when Ahmed Ibrahim read at his campaign launch that the minority was with him, Haruna Iddrisu was the one who issued a release that it was not true. The rift begun from there so this is power play which is not necessary for a country like Ghana.

“Johnson Asiedu Nketiah is about power. He is about showing what he can do. He is feeling himself very powerful and thinking who is standing in my way. In terms of the power play, “President Mahama has only one election to go who else is standing in his way? Haruna Iddrisu is standing in his way towards the holy grail so he decides to chuck Haruna Iddrisu off," he said.

General Secretary of the NDC on January 23 sent a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in which he disclosed some changes in its leadership in parliament.

A former deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader, as replacement for Haruna Iddrisu.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has also been named as the new deputy Minority Chief Whip. Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip. Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the first deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the second deputy Minority Chief Whip.

The announcement has highlighted the deep cracks in the minority with entrenched position for and against the move by the National Executive Council.

Two petitions have been issued from side opposed and for the decision by National Executive Council.

While the opponents demand that the decision be rescinded for further consultations, the proponents believe that the move is in the interest of the party.