Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and former Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has refuted rumors suggesting that he was forced out of his position as Majority Leader, stating that his resignation was a personal choice.
“I myself took a decision and resigned,” he said.
In an interview on the Orange Sunrise, he said his decision not to seek re-election to represent the Suame seat, left him with doubts about his commitment and dedication to the party’s vision hence it was good for another person to take over.
He said another factor influencing his resignation was the speculation surrounding the NDC’s potential selection of Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as its running mate from the Central Region.
He therefore believed it was strategic to have someone from that region to lead the Majority side in parliament to effectively compete with the opposition.
“First I said I wasn’t going to contest in Suame, I thought maybe the zeal and the commitment for the party may not be there. And the second one was that, the Central Region was where it was assumed John Mahama was going to take his running mate from, and if he did that, we will be seen to be very weak in the Central Region, so the president thought that we needed a bold face from there,” he told host Alfa Ali.
Osei-Kyei Mensah further mentioned that following his discussion with the president, progress started to unfold despite their inability to meet again due to travel arrangements.
Upon learning of these developments, several MPs, predominantly from the Ashanti Region, decided to sign a petition to prevent him from stepping down as the Majority Leader.
Nevertheless, in the interest of the party and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, he believed it was best to de-escalate the situation and step down to avoid any impact on Bawumia’s candidacy.
Addressing misconceptions about his involvement in efforts to remove the Finance Minister, he clarified that he had advocated for calm among the disgruntled MPs and collaborated with the President to address their concerns, leading to ministerial appointments for key members.
