NDC went into Speakership election with a strategy – Amoako Baah

Political Scientist Dr. Richard Amoako Baah says the NDC caucus in Parliament went into the Speakership election in Parliament on Thursday with a strategy.

According to him, the NPP caucus in the House was late in realising the strategy of their opponents and therefore could not counter it hence the election of the NDC nominee Alban Bagbin as Speaker.

“The NDC MPs were prepared. They came with a strategy but the NPP thought it was business as usual. No matter what you do, it’s over and there’s nothing you can do about it. The NDC is very sophisticated when it comes to these machinations. Look at the MP for Fomena and how he was treated and even now, it’s the NDC who has appointed him,” he told Morning Starr on Tuesday.

He urged the leadership of the NPP caucus in the House to explore ways to close their ranks.

“This is the time to call for unity in NPP in parliament. I’ll advise Osei Kyei to form a caucus so that they come closer and work together”.

Meanwhile, Builsa South lawmaker Clement Apaak has disclosed that former President John Mahama played a major role in the decision by the NDC caucus in Parliament to nominate Alban Bagbin as Speaker.

It comes on the back of claims by some members of the governing NPP that the new Speaker is independent-minded and will not allow the former President or the NDC to influence his conduct as head of the lawmaking chamber.

“If Akufo-Addo and his NPP liked Bagbin that much and knew all these attributes and qualities of his, why did Akufo-Addo and his NPP not propose him for Speaker? And why did they not ask their MPs elect to vote for him? And why are they unhappy that Prof. Mike Oquaye lost? And why are they fishing out some MPs from their side to punish because they voted for Bagbin? Such opportunistic hypocrites.

“We the NDC proposed our own NDC Bagbin. A decision made by our NDC leader John Dramani Mahama, our NDC Council of Elders, Our NDC NEC and our NDC Parliamentarians elect. We fought for our NDC Bagbin to win, his victory, as the world saw, via a secret ballot,” Apaak wrote in a statement.