Afenyo-Markin’s utterances on Opoku-Agyemang are outrightly disappointing, unacceptable – Bawah Mogtari

Joyce Bawah Mogtari, special aide to Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticised Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin for his comment on the running mate to Mr Mahama, Professor Jane Nanaa Opoku-Agyemang.

It is recalled that during proceedings in Parliament on Monday, the Minority caucus expressed unhappiness with Afenyo-Markin’s comment about the choice of septuagenarian as Mr Mahama’s running mate for the 2024 elections.

In the view of Afenyo-Markin, her selection smacked of a lack of succession planning and visionary leadership within the NDC.

The minority caucus asked him to withdraw the comment but he initially refused, leading to disruption in the debate on the President’s state of the Nation address.

The Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako suspended proceedings for a while to allow matters to settle.

When the house resumed sitting, Mr Afenyo-Markin withdrew his statement, saying, “Colleagues expressed a concern about the issue of age. Mr Speaker, the submission was to the effect that our opponents don’t have a clear succession plan for the future [and] not to denigrate their running mate based on age. So I withdraw that aspect of the submission that referred to her age as the basis of my contention.”

In a post on her X platform, Bawah Mogatri however said “Afenyo Markin’s utterances are outrightly disappointing, unacceptable, and disrespectful. For someone who is a leader in the august House of Parliament, his behaviour completely undermines and disregards our democratic process.

“There’s a simple solution to end the arrogance and unacceptable behaviour of Akufo-Addo, Bawumia and their appointees. We must close our ranks, vote wisely and elect John Mahama as our leader. He has the vision and commitment to help us build the Ghana we all want together.”

Meanwhile, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has told the Minority in Parliament to be tolerant of opposing views from others.

He stated that, unlike the Minority, the Majority members are receptive to divergent views.

Addressing the press in Parliament on the concerns of the Minority against Afenyo-Markin’s comments on Prof Opoku-Agyemang, Annoh-Dompreh, lawmaker for Nsawam Adoagyiri said “In our standing orders if somebody said something that is impugning a wrong motive you have the right to rise up at where you are and take the person on.

“Our colleagues should learn how to be tolerant, they should up their sense of tolerance. When Ato Forson and co were speaking, assuming without admitting that the Majority Leader had said something that borders on personal attacks on Prof Opoku-Agyemang, that is not how to go about it but we will be kind enough, that is how democratic we are, we always show the way.

“If it is the case that the mention of Prof and her age is their problem we will depart from there but the fact will be told, the story will be told, and the abysmal performance of John Mahama and their administration we will continue to expose that. Let nobody begin any crusade that we went on a viral attack on womanhood, that we will never do.”