Majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has resigned.
The move by the Suame MP follows a meeting with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House over a seeming impasse with the executive over an attempt to make changes to the front bench of the party in Parliament.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has however been made chairman of the Manifesto Committee of the Party.
Earlier the majority caucus led by first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu had vehemently kicked against the decision to remove Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as majority leader.
The Bekwai MP cited the new standing orders of parliament to declare any such changes can only be made by the caucus.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin earlier today however refuted the assertion of his first deputy arguing despite the definition of “Majority Leader” in the new standing orders to mean a person chosen by the majority side of the house, the party still reserves the right to determine who leads its Parliamentary wing.
This was however also rejected by the first deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu.
The President consequently summoned the MPs for a meeting over the matter.
At the meeting Starr News understands the Suame MP decided to resign after realizing the party was pushing through with the changes.
Per reports Effutu MP and deputy majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin will take over as leader of the majority bench.
Starr News has also gathered that the President has scrapped the ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and thus the Effutu MP will not double as a minister of State.
MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri Frank Annoh-Dompreh will either maintain his position as majority chief whip or move to deputize Afenyo-Markin as deputy majority leader. MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon and deputy majority whip Lydia Seyram Alhassan who has been nominated minister for Sanitation and Water Resources will either have Asokwa MP Patricia Appiagyei or Tano North North MP Freda Prempeh as her replacement.
Okaikoi Central MP Patrick Yaw Boamah’s name has also come up as a possible candidate to join the front bench of the majority.
Some members of the majority caucus had vowed to rebel if the decision to push out Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as leader is carried out.
It is however unclear whether their position will be the same with the resignation of the Suame MP.
