Opinions of Tuesday, 27 February 2024

Columnist: Razak Kojo Opoku

Changes in majority leadership is perfect for the political health and growth of NPP

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (left) and Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (left) and Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Majority Leader

The changes made in the Majority Caucus of Parliament are in order and strategic to the political health and growth of the New Patriotic Party, especially ahead of the 2024 general election.

The changes made in the leadership of our Majority Caucus will help to address the Regional Representative Gap and the Experience Gap that will be created by the absence of Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and others who are not coming back to Parliament after December 7th.

According to highly reliable sources, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of NPP will come from the Ashanti Region, therefore, it will not be politically, ethically, and ethnically fair for the Ashanti Region to still hold on to the Parliamentary Leadership of the Party, having already had 1st Deputy Speaker and 2nd Deputy Speakers coming from Ashanti Region.

We can't have a situation whereby the National Chairman(Partly Ashanti), General Secretary(Ashanti), National Organizer(Ashanti), Parliamentary Leader(Ashanti), and Vice-Presidential Candidate(Ashanti). There is a need to ethnically diversify the national leadership of the Party in order to satisfy all blocs within the Party.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, coming from the Central Region and the bosom friend of Kennedy Agyapong is the perfect person to take over the leadership of the Parliamentary Caucus of the Party. Hon. Afenyo is best at political negotiations and serves as the perfect bridge between the factions in NPP.

Most importantly, our main opponent NDC is having a Parliamentary leader coming from the Central Region, and it is 100% likely that, the 2024 Vice-Presidential candidate of NDC too will come from the Central Region.

Therefore, creating a political balance on the side of the NPP with influential and eloquent Afenyo is very essential.

Since 1992, the Central Region has produced 4 out of the 7 Vice-Presidents of this country, with 3 out of the 4 all being on the ticket of NDC namely Ekow Nkensen Arkaah, John Evans Atta Mills, and Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

NPP moving the Parliamentary leadership to the Central Region is extremely perfect and strategic. The NPP needs to grow and solidify its strength in the Central Region, the 5 Northern Regions, the Volta and Oti Regions as well as all the swing Regions. There is a need to organically grow and protect the UP Tradition for the current and unborn generations.

As was done for Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, we need to rally behind Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin to succeed as the leader of the Parliamentary Group of NPP whether in government or opposition.