Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress was attacked and beaten up by some angry youth suspected to be members of the party who stormed a radio station where he was speaking to justify the reshuffle of the leadership of the party’s caucus in parliament.
The hostile incident occurred on January 25, 2023, on the premises of Radio Tamale.
According to the media house, Gbande was eventually saved from the irate men and whisked away, but he received verbal assaults and several slaps.
“A group of Haruna supporters, who were not happy listening to the responses and reasons given by the deputy secretary, besieged the radio station attempting to assault him while the discussion was still ongoing but was prevented.
“They physically attacked him outside the studios of the radio station after the program with accompanying slaps and insults, as he was whisked into his vehicle,” Radio Tamale wrote on its Facebook page.
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During the said interview Gbande is reported to have said that he was personally uncomfortable with the decision taken by the party to reshuffle the leadership of the DNC caucus in parliament, but he believed it was for good reason.
He then urged the rank and file of the party to trust the judgement of the new leadership of the NDC, adding that the party has so much human resource in all areas and that anyone could be called upon at any time to help in the quest to secure victory in 2024.
The NDC’s decision to reshuffle its leadership in the legislative house, which became public on Tuesday, January 24, has been duly communicated to the speaker, Alban Bagbin through a letter, and the outgoing leaders have equally been informed about the change.
Haruna Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tamale-South who was the NDC’s Minority Leader has been replaced by Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako Enyan Esiam. James Klutsey Avezi, MP for Ketu-North who was his deputy has also been replaced by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembele Constituency, while Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu Constituency replaces Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, MP for Asawase in the Ashanti Region as the Chief Whip.
The reshuffle has sparked angry reactions among some NDC lawmakers who say they have not been consulted, and that they have not complained to the party that they are not comfortable with the old leadership. It has divided the minority caucus in parliament with a section calling for a reversal of the party’s decision while another section has endorsed the Ato Forson-led leadership.
The new minority leader has assured that he will discharge the role diligently with the support of the caucus.
“As a leader, it will be my duty to represent our collective goals with unwavering dedication and high integrity,” Forson said on Thursday, January 26.
The NDC, led by its chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia and General Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey maintains that the necessary consultations had been done before the decision was taken, so it will not be reversed.
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