Lack of consultation over shake-up in Minority leadership deeply worrying – Ayine

Former Deputy Attorney General and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, Dr. Dominic Ayine has slamed party officers at the national level for the shake-up in their parliamentary leadership.

He maintains that the National Democratic Congress leadership failed to consult its members of Parliament prior to the changes.

The legislator takes strong exceptions to the development describing it as one that is not only deeply worrying but also undemocratic.

“I am deeply worried that the party at Adabraka can just send a letter to the Speaker and say that these are the new leaders of the party, and we have to take it hook, line and sinker. It is totally unacceptable, it is totally undemocratic and does not conform to the principles regarding the running of the affairs of our party system”, he told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News.

The NDC in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament dated, Monday, January 23, 2023, announced a major reshuffling of its leadership in Parliament.

It named MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as its new Minority Leader taking over from Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu.

Ellembelle legislator, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah also replaces James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader while Asasawe MP, Muntaka Mubarak has been removed as Minority Chief Whip for Governs Kwame Agbodza to come to the scene.

The announcement has met mixed reactions amidst claims of lack of consultation which the party has refuted.

In Tamale South, for instance, party members massed up at the constituency party office demanding a reversal of the decision.

“This is where the problem is as far as the issue is concerned – absolute lack of consultation. It’s deeply worrying. We are a democratic party, democracy is our middle name, so we should conform to democratic principles in the decisions that we make as a party. It is true that there was no consultation, and there was no caucus meeting where we were told that a new leadership is being proposed for parliament. I find it deeply worrying”, Dr. Ayine stressed.