Veteran journalist and Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has described the popularity of former Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu in Tamale as legendary.
According to him, there will always be repercussions when he is touched politically.
He argued Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is no God, not all-knowing, not omnipotent or omnipresent and can be removed as the Minority leader but stressed there are things that have to be considered and done before removing him and especially knowing the political circumstances.
“Were those things done? … Wreckless move! Absolutely reckless move! So what have you achieved? You’ve now created conditions for speculation,” he said.
Mr. Kwesi Pratt was discussing changes that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has effected to its leadership in Parliament on Pan African Television.
The change, which has not gone down well in the party has sparked protests even among some members of Parliament who are demanding its suspension.
Haruna Iddrisu, he said, may have all his faults but he is ‘primus inter pares’ in the northern region and challenged former Tamale Central MP Inusah Fuseini who was a panel on the show to deny his claims.
“This is a man who comes to Tamale and doesn’t drive a car. I have seen him riding an ordinary bicycle moving from place to place and holding caucuses in the streets and going to all these NDC sheds and playing cards with the members.”
“I’ve seen him on motorbikes going to funerals and so on… His popularity is legendary and I want you to deny that and anytime he’s been touched, there’s been repercussions,” he said.
He said the situation has offered fodder to the NPP who are feeding on the confusion in frenzy.
He said, “Yesterday, I listened to some friends in the NPP discuss this matter and it’s like they’ve won a bonanza. One of them actually went to the extent of saying this move was directed by John Mahama because he has a rift with Haruna and wants to show Haruna some sense and so on… It’s not true. John Mahama was not comfortable with this move, ok?”
According to him, some are even claiming it may be possible Dr. Ato Forson is being positioned to become the running mate for the NDC, which also has no basis, “But you have created this condition because even the move you made you can’t explain it.”
“…You are using all kinds of… I should be careful with my language. If I want to speak the way I really want to speak today, I don’t know what is going to happen.”