Former Minority leader and Member of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, ‘crossed carpet’ in Parliament on Thursday to join the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) side.
The Tamala South MP chose to contribute to a report on the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (Niamey Convention) from a Majority seat, claiming he does not have a seat at the Minority side.
According to him, he has been designated a seat occupied by MP for Asutifi South, Hon. Collins Dauda who is senior to him in age and in the House but cannot take the seat.
If the National Democratic Congress (NDC) believes it has addressed the reshuffle of its front bench, the antics of the former leader should put the party on red alert that perhaps the worst is yet to come.
The change in the party’s leadership in Parliament generated a furor that saw the NDC group in Parliament split in support for the new leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.
The matter was resolved after a meeting that was jointly called by the national leadership, the Council of Elders and the Minority Caucus in Parliament last Monday.
The meeting attracted the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; the General Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey as well as members of the Council of Elders.
After the resolution, the Minority seats were rearranged to accommodate the former leaders who by convention sit directly behind the front bench.
Mr. Haruna, however, refused to take the seat officially designated him by former Minority leader Cletus Avoka.
He said, “Forgive me Mr. Speaker that I have to assume your chair because there was whether I should take over from Hon. Collins Dauda or not. I have told them that Hon. Collins Dauda is senior by age, senior even to this House.”
“I will not fit into his chair as somebody who is well-trained from home. So any other chair, Mr. Speaker, is acceptable to me. I’m still the Member of Parliament for Tamale South.”
