The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the outgoing leadership of the party in Parliament will not be sidelined in the party’s activities ahead of the 2024 elections.

According to him, the old executives have key qualities the party will need to win power in the next polls. He stated that the fact that they have been removed to pave way for new leaders does not necessary mean that they have been put aside but this only means that they are still needed to support with their expertise and knowledge.

The NDC earlier this week reshuffled its leadership in Parliament to replace Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu with Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and other four key holders who are popularly known amongst members of the National Democratic Congress.

The decision has received some backlash as several NDC MPs including MP for Bolgatanga East, Dominic Ayine and Tamale Central MP, Murtala Muhammed have described the leadership changes as undemocratic.

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah noted that though the decision may not be popular, it is in the best interest of the party. This is because at this moment in time, if they; the members of the party do not make a few changes to their way of thinking and way of approaching the rising issues, it will go against them in the 2024 elections.

“We are taking this decision not because it doesn’t hurt us. All persons involved are very good friends of mine, but we have to take a decision because it’s a leadership responsibility imposed on us. And we cannot fail the nation, so wherever anybody’s talent comes in need, we will fall on that person and assign him the duty to discharge.”
Asiedu Nketiah

“For those who are going out of the front line of our Parliamentary leadership, it doesn’t mean that is the end of them. We may need them in other capacities, and we will go for them to perform those duties”
Asiedu Nketiah

Haruna Iddrisu Is Satisfied

Whiles many others have protested against Haruna Idrisu being replaced by Dr. Ato Forson, Sam George has spoken that the Haruna Idrisu he knows will still not like it if the decision made by the upper-class is even still reversed in his favor because he will feel it is not right and they were pressed into doing so.

Even though the MP for the Ningo Prampram Constituency has problems with the way and manner the changes were done to the leadership of the Minority, he claimed the entire process of removing the officials could have been done in a tidier manner through consultation given the caliber of personalities involved but Haruna has no problem because he is very much okay with decisions made.

“Many of us had eggs on our faces, we thought [the letter announcing the changes] was fake until [Asiedu Nketia] came to say yes indeed they wrote that letter. Even in Senior High school, the headmaster doesn’t sit in his office and just appoint who becomes head boy, because they have to go through manifesto reading, and then they do the voting.”
Sam George

“I remember very well in that meeting of the 4th of January; this issue came up about how our leadership in Parliament is being selected or elected. You look at best practices across the world, caucuses actually elect their leaders and so we decided as a caucus to go ahead and put together a draft that would then codify on paper what the processes for the selection of leaders of our caucus should be. Unfortunately, we haven’t worked on it or carried it through and couldn’t get it ratified at the last congress.”
Sam George

Honorable Sam George opined that even though there is no where in the constitution that states that MPs should be consulted, there is also no where in that same constitution that says that the national executives should elect leadership for parliament. He furthered on to say that the convention has been an engagement and that they must run by that convention where the national executives had chosen but had engaged the caucus first.

“Why you need to engage the caucus is to prevent what we are seeing now. Because, what you need as an authority as a leader in Parliament is legitimacy from behind you. That legitimacy from behind you is from consensus. NDC Council of elders must step in quickly, and call the outgone leaders, I have been told the Council called members of the outgone leadership and spoke to them. But I hold the view that the way to resolve this matter is first and foremost, within the next 24 hours, our Council of Elders calling the two groups, the Haruna Iddrisu group and the Ato Forson group into one room.

“Our leaders should call both sides and call the national executives especially the national chair and the General Secretary and let us build a road map that takes the consultation that the national executives have done a step further of engaging the caucus.”
Sam George

The Ningo Prampram MP claimed that he knew Haruna very well and the way the matter was handled was poor because it could have been handled in a tidier manner. As a result, even if the decision was to be reversed, Haruna Idrisu will not accept it. He said that the party must agree to this because nobody is infallible.