The Executive Director of Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rasheed Dramani, has observed that it may be risky for the Fomena MP to cross carpets in Parliament.

After Mr Asiamah’s victory in the just-ended elections, questions were raised as to which side he would join in Parliament.

However, the Fomena MP-elect, on Wednesday, December 16, revealed his decision to join the governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) caucus in the 8th Parliament come 2021.

Speaking to JoyNews, Wednesday, Mr Asiamah maintained his unfeigned allegiance to the NPP despite his expulsion from the Party after he decided to run as an Independent Candidate in the 2020 Parliamentary elections.

According to Dr Dramani, if Lawyer Andrews Amoako Asiamah reverts to his New Patriotic Party (NPP) membership, his seat in Parliament will have to be declared vacant and bi-election held at Fomena to elect a new MP for that area.

That, according to Dr Dramani, “might also be very risky, particularly given the discerning nature of the Ghanaian voter.”

Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews, he stressed that although Lawyer Asiamah's constituency is known to be an NPP stronghold, that trend could change.

“Even though Fomena can be described as a stronghold traditionally of the NPP, we might wake up and if this gamble is played out, maybe the people of Fomena can say they are going to vote the NDC, and that will change the dynamics altogether.”

In his victory address, President-elect Akufo-Addo stated that the outcome of the Parliamentary results indicates that Ghanaians want the two major political parties to work together in Parliament.

But for that to be realized, the Executive Director also noted that key to the success of the 8th Parliament is the choice of Speaker.

“Given all these different unanswered scenarios that we have, the Speaker of Parliament should be somebody, apart from everything else, who has the power of persuasion to persuade both sides to work together.” 

The Fomena MP-elect was dismissed by the NPP following his decision to contest the parliamentary election as an independent candidate.

Following the party’s action, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye, declared the Fomena seat vacant.