Haruna Iddrisu's dismissal: A ploy to weaken the northern front and promote a certain agenda in the NDC

The Johnson Asiedu Nketia-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) left the people of Ghana in shock as they disrespectfully announced the dismissal of Hon Haruna Iddrisu from his position as the Minority Leader on January 24, 2023.

The competence and political experience of Hon Iddrisu, however, caused the general public, and the members of the fourth estate in particular, to react to the news with a tone of shock as they wondered what would have inspired such a decision.

Attempts by journalists to look for answers to this gross disrespect to the personality of Hon Iddrisu, however, revealed that there might be ulterior motive behind this decision as it came out that Mr Asiedu Nketia and his lieutenants did not even consult the Minority Caucus in Parliament before going public with their decision.

The explanation the national chairman of the largest opposition party gave in an attempt to calm risen tempers and agitations in the NDC has rather triggered more suspicions as social and political commentators find it difficult to side with him. This has further triggered more debate in the media space.

From where I sit, I see the dismissal of the revered Haruna Iddrisu and Hon Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka as a ploy to weaken the northern front in the NDC to enable Mr Asiedu Nketia to promote a certain agenda that would be unveiled after 2024 and beyond.

The exceptional performance Mr Iddrisu and Mubarak Muntaka in Parliament coupled with their electoral contributions to the NDC has made these two law makers great forces in the party. This has in turn alarmed Mr Nketia who would want to be the next face of the NDC after former President John dramani Mahama.

Apart from consistently winning their seats and using their constituencies to brighten the electoral chances of the NDC, they have done what nobody has ever done in the political history of Ghanan. Under their leadership, they managed to provide a Speaker of Parliament for an opposition party for the first time in the country’s history.

Their sterling contributions to the fortunes of the NDC and Ghana as a whole make both of them the best prospective presidential candidates for the NDC after former President John Dramani Mahama. This is what gives Mr Asiedu Nketia sleepless nights and hence his dangerous decision. Oh yes, his decision is most likely to cause Mr Mahama dearly if his victims fail to handle the situation with considerable level of maturity.

I therefore disagree with those who think the former President supports this politically unwise decision that is most likely to provoke the people in the north against the NDC. Mr Nketia knows very well that his decision will cost Mr Mahama if the northern support base feel disrespected but he does not care because he has an ulterior motive to achieve.

It is clear from the explanation Mr Nketia gave that he wants to undermine the achievements of Hon Iddrisu and Mubarak Muntaka and reduce them to nothing in the party. And by so doing he has put his ulterior motive above the collective interest of the entire NDC.

I can’t conclude this article without drawing the attention of my readers to what Mr Koku Anyidoho said about Mr Asiedu Nketia.

By Bala Ali