Former Majority Leader and Suame MP, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has opened up about the internal dynamics within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that led to his decision to step down, clearing the way for Alexander Afenyo-Markin to take over the role.
In an interview on Asempa FM on Tuesday, March 4, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu revealed that he was forewarned about President Akufo-Addo’s intentions to replace him as Majority Leader.
“About 80 MPs informed me ahead of time that the president wanted me out. Many of my colleagues urged me to resist, assuring me of their support,” he disclosed.
Despite the backing, he opted to step down to prevent further divisions within the party. “I didn’t want to be the cause of any turmoil in the party. I felt I had done my part, so I decided to resign on the spot,” he stated.
Recalling the events, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu mentioned an emergency meeting called by President Akufo-Addo before the elections, at a time when John Dramani Mahama had yet to announce his running mate.
He noted that the president was particularly concerned about the NPP’s waning influence in the Central Region and the need for a leader who could bolster the party’s standing there.
“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.
Akufo-Addo, he claimed, saw Afenyo-Markin, who hails from the Central Region, as a more strategic choice to counter the NDC’s growing influence.
“Most MPs disagreed with this reasoning, but I saw where things were headed. Rather than make things more complicated, I stepped aside,” he added.
