Samuel Atta Akyea, the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, has expressed surprise at the resignation of Osei Kyei-Mensah[1]Bonsu as Majority Leader.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who holds the record for being Ghana’s longest-serving lawmaker, formally announced his resignation during a meeting at the presidency on Wednesday.
His decision to step down comes amid growing tensions between the parliamentary group of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the national leadership.
In an interview with Accra-based Asempa FM on Thursday, Atta Akyea voiced concerns about the timing of the resignation.
He felt that given the current status of the caucus, the decision was inappropriate and any move to change leadership came too late.
“I was very surprised because I felt considering the times we are in, we can’t do things like that. Because our situation is a bit precarious if you look at our numbers and that of the NDC. And I felt it was too late in the day to make changes to crash our unity.
So I was a bit surprised it happened,” he stated.
After almost three decades, the Suame MP who doubles as the current Minister for Parliamentary Affairs has decided against seeking re-election in the upcoming national polls.
Amidst the controversy, some critics believe his resignation is necessary for the party to prepare the grounds for a smooth transition going into the campaign season.
However, the likes of Samuel Atta Akyea believe the controversy around the resignation will be disruptive for the party’s business in parliament and going into the election