CitiNews can authoritatively report that Nadoli Kaleo Member of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, is to return to the front bench of the Majority side as Majority Leader and leader of Government Business in the 275-Member Legislature.
The position is set to become vacant after President John Mahama nominated the current occupier, Dr. Benjamin Kumbour, for the position of Minister for Defence in a Ministerial reshuffle announced early Wednesday.
A short while ago, governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) chiefs, including party General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, met members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament at which the issue of who to succeed Dr. Kumbour was discussed.
Earlier, the party chiefs had consulted President John Mahama on the question of who should lead the Majority side.
Our sources say at least four names were discussed at the meeting with the President, including that of Mr. Bagbin. The other shortlisted names were Wa West MP Joseph Yileh Chireh, Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrissu plus one other name.
CitiNews sources say after a meeting that lasted for less than an hour with NDC MPs, “a popular decision” was taken to name Mr. Bagbin to succeed Dr. Kumbour.
It is however unclear whether Mr. Bagbin, a man known for frowning on executive intrusion into Parliament, will fill the soon-to-be vacant position as a Minister of State under Mahama’s government.
Mr. Bagbin’s soon-to-be predecessor, Dr. Kumbour, currently occupies the position as Majority Leader and Minister for Government Business in Parliament – a nomenclature Mr. Bagbin had previously slammed as evidence of Executive incursion into Parliament.
The former Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing under the Mills Administration will be no stranger on the Majority front bench, having previously served for well over a year as Majority Leader under the same government.
Earlier, the trained lawyer had led Minority NDC MPs in Parliament as the Minority Leader between 2001 and 2008 under the John Kufour regime.
A number of NDC MPs who spoke to CitiNews after the meeting hailed Mr. Bagbin’s expected return as Majority Leader as “most brilliant and politically smart”.
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By: Richard Dela Sky/citifmonline.com/Ghana