Political analyst Dr. Richard Amoako Baah has stated that Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, resigned as a show of solidarity and to maintain peace within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He suggests that Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s resignation was not voluntary, but rather a move to appease certain individuals within the party.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu formally announced his resignation as Majority Leader in Parliament on Friday, February 23.

“On Wednesday, February 21, at a meeting with the caucus and the President, I formally announced my decision to resign as the Majority Leader in order to still the storm and facilitate the peace and unity for the party at this time,” he said.

In a significant shift in the Majority Front Bench’s leadership, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu, has been confirmed as the new Majority Leader starting today, Friday, February 23.

This change aligns with the Speaker’s recent ruling on the selection process and follows the latest interpretation of parliamentary procedures.

The leadership transition was confirmed at a meeting chaired by the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong.

In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Dr. Baah told Selorm Adonoo that Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s decision was purely for the sake of unity within the party.

“Today, he is speaking as a team player. He doesn’t want any division, further division because of him. So he came to make amends, so he is speaking like that. When you listen to others, that is not how it is. He was told to step down before he went to say it. But it shouldn’t be like that,” he stated.

He also indicated that “Long service to your country is not epitomised by really sacking, being forced out if you want to be polite. Because that is what happened. If you have done well you should be celebrated, you will be thanked. You should be able to say a proper farewell to your colleagues. That is not what happened… If you have long served like this, the longest serving MP, there has to be some form of funfair to say goodbye to you. You know all over the world that is how it is done. In some cases, your comrades will come and bow before you and say goodbye and thank you, something like that.”