New King, New Law!

THERE IS serious brouhaha in the Zu-za camp – a convulsion that threatens to break the front of its leadership. As the proponents and opponents of the parliamentary leadership coup d’etat engage in press conferences and counter press conferences, one cannot help but wonder if there are elders in the Umbrella family. The Ga people say, “Saa yoo, onukpa bedzen lo?” To wit, “Is there no elder around to stop the bloody fight going on?”

We all woke up on Tuesday only to be greeted by the news that the leadership of the Minority, headed by Haruna Iddrisu, had been deposed and replaced with Ato Forson’s group. Surrounded by the new General Secretary and other national officers, Chairman Ntontom corroborated the story in a press conference. The claim that the change had become necessary because the 2024 electoral battle will mainly be fought on the economic front can only be taken with a pinch of salt.

The new Minority leadership held a press conference to outline its plan of action, while supporters of the deposed group, led by Cletus Avoka, also held a press conference claiming their group was still at post and that what the party leadership had done was unconstitutional. It’s worth mentioning that the likes of Rasheed Pelpuo, Collins Dauda and Dr. Dominic Ayine belong to the deposed group.

Chairman Ntontom’s subsequent press briefing and the threat to cite all Zu-za MPs opposed to the appointment of the new leadership for anti-party conduct and disqualify them in the upcoming parliamentary primaries revealed his true agenda. Clearly, he wants to prove to Haruna and his ilk that there is a new Sheriff in town. We call it “new king, new law” in the local parlance.

As I write, 94 MPs have signed a petition calling on the party leadership at Adabraka to reconsider its stance. Can you imagine the chaos in the various constituencies should Chairman Ntontom go ahead with his threat and cite all 94 MPs for anti-party conduct?

One big misstep by Chairman Ntontom and his ilk at Adabraka was to depose the Minority leader without even any tacit support from the caucus in Parliament. Most of the MPs reacted the way they did because they felt disrespected.

I am excited that most of the Zu-za MPs are against the autocratic nature of appointing the new Minority leadership. It will send a strong message to Adabraka to desist from its autocratic ways.

When the dust finally settles, I don’t foresee the party leadership changing its decision. The Ato Forson group would most likely be maintained. But the million dollar question is whether they would enjoy the support of all members of the parliamentary caucus. I also doubt if the party can also assuage the pain of the dyed-in-the-wool Haruna supporters before the 2024 polls.

The autocratic leadership style adopted by Chairman Ntontom may succeed today, but the unruffling of so many feathers will make it difficult for many to bury the hatchet before the 2024 battle. And that may be the nemesis of those under the eagle-headed Umbrella.

Yes, the Great Elephant has lost a lot of goodwill because of the current harsh economic difficulties. But it is not a guarantee that all those complaining will automatically shift their allegiance to the Umbrella. Zu-za will have to strategically place itself in a position that will make it attractive. For now, it is far away from such a position.

So, members of Zu-za should not delude themselves into believing that victory in the 2024 electoral battle is a foregone conclusion. They will laugh at the wrong side of their mouths if they do not wake up soon enough and smell the coffee.

For an opposition party that seeks to regain power, one would expect them to do things better and send the signal that they are ready to govern this country. Alas, all we see is a party engulfed in such chaotic upheaval. It’s a shame!

See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!