The Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Rasheed Draman, has raised concerns about the resignation of former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

Sources within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) hierarchy indicated that the Suame MP willingly offered to step down during a meeting of the NPP caucus in parliament and the executive, including President Akufo-Addo.

However, speaking on JoyNews' PM Express, Dr. Draman suggested that the Suame MP might have been compelled to resign from his position, raising questions about whether such an approach was the best way to encourage individuals to dedicate themselves to public service.

While acknowledging the party's right to choose its leaders in Parliament, he emphasized that the governance of the country is a collective responsibility.

Considering Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu's long-standing commitment to public service by being the longest-serving Member of Parliament, Dr Draman found the circumstances surrounding the exit troubling, stating, "I don’t think the end should be a push."

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu officially stepped down as the leader of the majority caucus in Parliament on Wednesday evening. Prior to this, there were rumors circulating about his potential removal to allow his Deputy, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to assume leadership.

While some argue that his resignation was due to his new role as the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee for the NPP's 2024 election campaign, Dr. Draman questioned this reasoning.

He pointed out that there are other Members of Parliament who also hold ministerial positions and successfully manage their dual roles.

“So really, we are just seeing a replay of the situation that we saw with the NDC, and Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has now joined his friend Haruna Iddrisu in suffering the same fate,” he said on Wednesday.

Dr. Draman expressed his belief that, regardless of whether the resignation was negotiated or not, a better approach could have been taken to avoid the evident discord surrounding the departure of Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.