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The leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has disclosed that his colleagues were not united in the vote for Speaker of Parliament.
The former Majority Leader said the opposition infiltrated their camp ahead of the crucial vote that saw Alban Bagbin of the National Democratic Congress emerge victorious.
Speaking in an interview on Kumasi, the Suame MP said prior to the election he heard rumours that some of the NPP members were planning to dissent against Professor Mike Ocquaye.
“I heard rumours that the NDC was trying to bribe some of our members to vote against Speaker Oquaye, so I quickly called those whose name was mentioned to speak with them; others too had some unresolved issues with him and had said they would not vote for him. I met all those members in the hotel and spoke at length with them to rescind their decision, but it practically fell on deaf ears”.
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He reiterated claims that the voting in Parliament was inconclusive and that the Speakership position was conferred on Alban Sumana Bagbin in order to make way for the President’s investiture.
“It is never true that Bagbin won the votes by 138 votes; at a point, we realised that the NDC Caucus was bent on frustrating the process and thereby delaying the coronation of President Akufo-Addo, so we had to build consensus and give in to their demands to save time”.
“It would have been a disgrace for Ghana if we hadn’t allowed consensus and let the NDC Caucus have its way; a lot of the international dignitaries had to return to their countries so we could not delay the investiture of President Akufo-Addo”.
In a related development, the NPP has asked the Supreme Court to throw out the NDC’s election petition because it is incompetent.
In a 12-page response, the lawyers for President Akufo-Addo prayed the Supreme Court to throw out the pleas of the Petitioner.
According to Akufo-Addo, Mahama’s petition “does not measure up to the legal criteria for an action”.
John Mahama wants the Supreme Court to order a rerun of the election and to also restrain the New Patriotic Party’s presidential candidate, Akufo-Addo, from describing himself as the president-elect.
