According to the National Democratic Congress' Council of Elders, the party will always remember the contributions made by the immediate past Minority Caucus leaders.

The party stated in a statement on Monday that James Klutse Avedzi, Muntaka Mubarak, and Haruna Iddrisu, the former minority leader, had all performed admirably in their roles and that the party should not disregard their labors.

It praised their work and urged all of its lawmakers to stick together despite the current conflicts brought on by the party's shift in parliamentary leadership.

“The Council of Elders acknowledges the leadership and sterling achievements of the outgoing leaders of the NDC caucus namely, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Hon. James Klutse Avedzi and Hon. Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak who have raised the profile of the NDC minority caucus and demonstrated that indeed it is the NDC who has the men and women capable of turning the fortunes of Ghanaians around.

“Their efforts have contributed to reassuring Ghanaians that the NDC party is ready to assume power and rescue the nation from the depths of despair and desperation. Indeed, the NDC party must not and will never forget the contributions of our three respected comrades in improving the electoral fortunes of the party”, portions of the statement read.

In the meantime, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Council of Elders claims that the party needs to reevaluate changes to how it chooses its legislators.

The Council stated in its statement on Monday that this has become necessary as a result of recent conflicts inside the party as a result of a shift in its parliamentary front.

In order to avoid similar situations in the future, the agreement signed by the Council's Chairperson, Mahama Iddrisu, stated that the party was willing to discuss a new structure that would govern how the party chooses its leaders in the House.

“While recognising that the party leadership was within its rights to make appointments or rotate the leadership of the NDC Caucus in Parliament as has been the case since the inception of the Parliament of the 4th Republic, the Council is of the view that the processes need to be improved”, the statement emphasised.

The party’s elders further indicated that they have resolved the impasse surrounding the changes in its parliamentary front.

In doing so, the party said it, “approached the engagements conscious of the need for an early resolution which will be in the best interest of the party and mindful of the imperatives of unity and cohesion at a time Ghanaians are looking up to the NDC to rescue the country from the dismal state of affairs which has been the hallmark of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government”.

Background

On Tuesday, January 24, a statement from the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, announced Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as the new Minority Leader with Emmanuel Kofi-Armah Buah as the Deputy Minority Leader.

MP for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza was also named as the party’s new Minority Chief Whip, taking over from Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak.

This development has since been met with a lot of resentment from some quarters of the party, including Tamale Central MP, Murtala Mohammed who has questioned the timing and relevance of the change.

Former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Koku Anyidoho also took to Twitter to berate the changes.

Later, some displeased members of the party allegedly stormed the premises of Radio Tamale where the party’s Deputy General Secretary was having an interview.

According to the report, the irate party supporters pounced on him and visited harm on his person.

But speaking to ‘JoyNews on Thursday in the wake of the rumours, Mustapha Gbande disclosed that the reports of assault on him are untrue.

According to him, he only addressed the concerned party faithful who came to the premises after which they all left the scene.

Following this, former NDC lawmaker, Ras Mubarak, also took a swipe at the critics of the changes in the parliamentary leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In a Facebook post, he noted that despite the reservations from some quarters of the party, the changes will not be reversed.

According to him, there is the need for the aggrieved members of the party to suspend their reservations and throw their weight behind the new Miniorty Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and his team.

This he believes will inure to the greater good of the party in its quest to win the 2024 general election.

The statement from the party’s Council of Elders is therefore expected to bring an end to all the media alterations which the party has described as regrettable.