Former Majority Leader and Suame MP, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has revealed the internal politics that led to his removal, making way for Alexander Afenyo-Markin to take over.
In an interview on Asempa FM on Tuesday, March 4, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu shared that he was warned about President Akufo-Addo’s intention to replace him, with about 80 MPs informing him of the president’s decision.
“Some of my colleagues, about 80 MPs informed me ahead of time that the president wanted me out. Many MPs encouraged me to fight back, assuring me of their support,” he revealed.
Despite having the support of many MPs, who encouraged him to fight back, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu chose to step down to avoid deepening divisions within the party.
“I didn’t want to be the eye of any storm in the party. I felt I had had enough, so I decided to resign.” He explained.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu recalled an emergency meeting convened by President Akufo-Addo, where the president expressed concerns about the NPP’s declining influence in the Central Region.
The president believed that with Naana Opoku-Agyemang likely to be John Mahama’s running mate and Ato Forson serving as the Minority Leader, the NDC would gain an advantage in the region.
“The president argued that the NDC was gaining ground in the Central Region, especially with Naana Opoku-Agyemang likely to be Mahama’s running mate and Ato Forson taking up the Minority Leader position,” he stated.
To counter this, Akufo-Addo saw Afenyo-Markin, who hails from the Central Region, as a more strategic choice for the NPP’s leadership in Parliament.
Although most MPs disagreed with this reasoning, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu decided to step aside, stating, “Rather than complicate matters, I stepped aside”.
Baina Multimedia/ Khadijahtu Kubura Kailani
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