The New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the December 7 elections has assumed the ambitious task of winning all 275 seats in Parliament.
This stems from the desertion of Parliament on Thursday, February 20 at the start of the delivery of the president’s state-of-the-nation address by the Minority Caucus.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) members, who form the Minority Caucus, had claimed they cannot be in Parliament to listen to an oppressor in the president.
But despite visibly worried by the action of the Minority members, President Akufo-Addo delivered his address.
He concluded by stating a fresh drive of the NPP and him to leave no seats for the opposition.
“Mr Speaker, my party and I know the nature of the task before us on the 7th of December,” he noted, “and that is to occupy all seats.”
“That’s our task.”
This was given a strong backing by the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, who was once the NPP MP for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency.
“On behalf of the entire house, I wish to congratulate His Excellency the president on the wonderful address.
“We pray that the good LORD will grant all his wishes including the latest one he made of full occupation of this honourable House.”
This did not obviously go down well with the Minority, whose Leader Haruna Iddrisu addressed a press conference immediately after the session.
The Tamale South Member of Parliament said the wish of the president to occupy all seats confirms the fears of the largest opposition party of the “high-handedness” of the government to make Ghana a one-party state.
He said the tyranny of Mr Akufo-Addo since assuming office is glaring for all to see.
This and many other things he said informed their walkout from Parliament on Thursday.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana