Kwadjo Asante, the Member of Parliament for Suhum has disclosed that he was taken off the WhatsApp platform containing all Members of Parliament affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) the moment he filed to contest as independent.
He says the Majority Chief Whip who is also the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, took him off the page the moment he filed his nomination.
“The moment I filed my documents to contest as independent, they took me off the NPP MPs platform,” he told Captain Smart on Onua TV’s morning show, Maakye, Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
When asked who took him off, he said ” Annoh-Dompreh, the Chief Whip took me off but the same person has added me back. That was about two-three days ago.”
He says he has been silent on the page since he was added back, until the rumours of rescinding his decision came up when he clarified that it is fake. Mr. Asante also added that he has not asked why he has been added back to the page because nobody gave him any reason for taking him off.
“I haven’t spoken since they added me back and when I saw the publication of me rescinding my decision yesterday, I wrote that it’s fake when it appeared on the page. It’s about me so I needed to clarify things to them.
“When he took me off he didn’t tell me so I don’t know why he added me back. Maybe my removal was a mistake,” he stated, adding that he will continue to attend Parliament to represent his people whenever the House is called because his tenure as MP has not ended.
“If I go to Parliament now, my tenure hasn’t ended. To the best of my knowledge, I’m serving Ghanaians. I’m not an NPP MP, I’m Suhum MP,” he said.
Kwadjo Asante was elected on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in December 2020, and after losing the parliamentary primary for the December 2024 polls, he declared his intention to contest as independent.
The decision, which is similar to some three others in Parliament, according to Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution, makes them vacate their seats in the House.
This was reinforced in a ruling by the Speaker Thursday, October 17, 2024, making the NPP which hitherto was majority in Parliament, becoming minority, with the opposition NPP becoming the minority.
A Supreme Court verdict on the matter after an ex parte motion was filed stayed the ruling and directed the House to allow the members occupy their positions until a substantive motion before the Supreme Court seeking interpretation of the Article is determined.
The NPP MPs, however, vacated Parliament on Tuesday, October 22, making the Speaker adjourn the House indefinitely for lack of quorum.
Source:onuaonline.com