Zebilla MP, Cletus Avoka, says his colleague lawmaker, Haruna Iddrisu and his team are still leaders of the Minority Caucus in Parliament.

This is depsite a letter by the leadership of the NDC which replaced Haruna Iddrisu as the Minority Leader on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the former Majority Leader, Cletus Avoka, noted that the said letter by the party’s General Secretary has no effect.

According to him, Parliament is currently on recess and therefore there can be no applicable changes to the leadership structure of the NDC Minority in the House.

He explained that the purported changes in the letter can only be implemented if the Speaker of Parliament reads it before the entire House; stressing that until that is done, Haruna Iddrisu remains the Minority Leader, likewise his other colleagues.

“We’re on recess. By the Speaker’s invitation we’re returning on the 7th of February, 2023 so we’re not yet in the House.

“Against that background, it is when the Speaker reads the letter he has received from the Secretary of the party indicating the reshuffle to the members of the House that it can take effect.

“As of now, we’re on recess, we’re not there. So as far as we’re concerned, the current leaders of the House, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka and co are deemed to still be in office”, he emphasised.

The comments by the former NDC Majority Leader comes on the back of prevailing tension in the party, following the announced changes in the party’s parliamentary leadership.

On Tuesday, a statement from the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, announced Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as the new Minority Leader with Emmanuel Kofi-Armah Buah as the Deputy Minority Leader.

MP for Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza was also named as the party’s new Minority Chief Whip, taking over from Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak.

This development has since been met with a lot of resentment from some quarters of the party, including Tamale Central MP, Murtala Mohammed who has questioned the timing and relevance of the change.

Former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Koku Anyidoho also took to Twitter to berate the changes.

The latest manifestation of the grievances happened on Wednesday when some displeased members of the party allegedly stormed the premises of Radio Tamale where the party’s Deputy General Secretary was having an interview.

According to the report, the irate party supporters pounced on him and inflicted harm on his person.

But speaking to ‘JoyNews on Thursday in the wake of the rumours, Mustapha Gbande disclosed that the reports of assault on him are untrue.

According to him, he only addressed the concerned party faithful who came to the premises after which they all left the scene.

He said he is familiar with the people who trooped to the station; adding that he has plans of meeting them later.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, says he has had ‘frank conversations’ with his predecessor, Haruna Iddirisu.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the finance expert disclosed that his interaction with the former Minority Leader was fruitful.

Speaking to the media, Dr Ato Forson, in a quest to dispel the rumours stated that, “I have held fruitful and positive conversations, in fact frank conversations with my senior brother, the honorable Haruna Iddrisu”.