- "Not at all, I am fully in charge. I am the Minority Leader, this morning, I have engaged with the party leadership and Council of Elders."
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has said his role as the arrowhead of the opposition in Parliament is unwavering despite attempts to undermine his position.
The Tamale South MP debunked reports that there is turmoil within his camp following the resignation of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the MP for North Tongu, from the appointments committee of Parliament.
“Not at all, I am fully in charge. I am the Minority Leader,” Iddrisu told the parliamentary press corps after a crucial meeting with the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament. “This morning, I have engaged with the party leadership and Council of Elders.”
He added: “We look forward to co-operation and collaboration. But let not anybody exaggerate that I have more than what I have which is known parametrically and numerically.
However, Iddrisu remained tight-lipped over the outcome of a meeting with the party’s national executives, believed to have been held to address recent challenges, including Ablakwa’s resignation.
According to him, the crunch meeting also discussed ways that the NDC and its parliamentary caucus can work towards increasing the number of its seats in Parliament and clinching power in the 2024 general election.
Ablakwa’s resignation
The North Tongu MP resigned from the appointments committee on Tuesday (31 March).
“This was after days of careful reflection and thoughtful considerations,” the former deputy education minister said in a letter to the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, dated 30 March.
“I shall like [sic] to state that the reason for this difficult decision is both personal and on principle,” Ablakwa wrote.
He said his resignation from the 26-member committee takes immediate effect.
“May I extend to you, leadership of the House, the Committee of Selection and the leadership of the great National Democratic Congress (NDC), my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve as a member of the sixth, seventh and eighth parliaments of the Republic of Ghana,” the letter concluded.
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