A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) national executive council (NEC) and MP for the Asante Akim-North constituency, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, has emphatically stated that he will not support any move to change the party’s current leadership in parliament.
Despite NEC having itemised the “proposed changes in parliamentary leadership” at its February 19 crunch meeting, Mr Appiah-Kubi noted the same item was dropped and did not come up for deliberations.
He stressed that the move could have been for the party to discuss the new standing orders passed by parliament, which are currently in effect from January 2, 2024.
“Yes, it was either the party was going to explain matters in respect of social media publications or going to take a position and want to defend it and solicit our opinion. So it could have been either way,” said Mr Appiah-Kubi, stating, “but we were ready to hold the discussions on that and we will take a position and defend it.”
Asked specifically if he would have supported any proposal to change the majority leadership, he answered Alfred Ocansey, “I will not have supported it.”
“Indeed, we didn’t contemplate discussions that would lead to any change,” he reiterated on Ghana Tonight on TV3 yesterday [Feb. 20].
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He further noted that the current position of the law allows members of parliament to select their leaders, which is part of the new standing orders.
“So I couldn’t see why somebody from outside the house was going to select leaders to perform in the house,” he stated.
He maintained that any attempts by party leaders to appoint certain people as leaders in parliament would go contrary to the new standing orders by parliament.
However, he argued that the party can propose a person to become the leader of the house but added that such a proposal will be considered by the party’s members of the house.
Mr. Appiah-Kubi also emphasised that nobody outside the house has “the power to demand” a change in the leadership of the party in parliament.