By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, March 12, GNA – Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader, has received a backlash from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority over his remarks that Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the running-mate of the NDC’s flagbearer, is over 70 years old.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, in his submission during the conclusion of the Parliamentary debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, said selecting Prof Opoku-Agyemang as the running- mate was a wrong choice.
This drew a strong protest from the NDC Minority, which led to heckling and banging of tables.
“Mr Speaker, it is the same old NDC. It is the same old John Mahama…. Even if you look at his choice of running mate, he could not get somebody that one could say that oh they are planning for the future,” he said.
“The person is over 70 years, they have no succession plan. Mr Speaker, from day one, their government will be in crisis. Mr Speaker, they went to pick the very old person who could not perform at the Education Ministry.”
“The flagbearer, constitutionally has just one term. Should that happen, the flagbearer has chosen a running mate, Mr Speaker. Under normal circumstances, they should have given us a running mate who can offer a future to Ghana.”
These, among other comments Mr Afenyo-Markin made, which the Minority Caucus considered as distasteful, brought Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Deputy Minority Whip and MP for Banda, to his feet, who demanded a retraction of those comments and apology by the Majority Leader to Prof Opoku-Agyemang.
Mr Ibrahim argued that Prof Opoku-Agyemang was not in the House to respond to the allegations leveled against her.
In the midst of the banging of tables and shouts of “you must withdraw and apologise”, Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker, presiding, suspended sitting for one hour.
The House later resumed for Mr Afenyo-Markin to conclude his remarks on the SONA.
GNA