Apathy grips NPP: Afoko, Agyepong loyalists fear another plot

The departure of the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, to the UK for a three-week sojourn has left a sour taste within the NPP, as his critics chide him for using the UK trip as an excuse to escape the embarrassing defeat suffered by the NPP at the just ended parliamentary by-elections in Talensi in the Upper East Region.

The Talensi election was seen as a litmus test for the strength of the two major Ghanaian political parties in the run-up to the 2016 general elections, a win in Talensi was seen as an endorsement of the popularity of the victor, hence the massive resources pumped into the by-elections held last week.

The NPP was enjoying incumbency in the constituency until its Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Nachinab Doameng Mosore was installed a Chief in the area; forcing him to leave Parliament and necessitating the by-election which helped the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to seize the seat from the NPP.

The much anticipated Talensi by-election ended with NDC’s B.T. Baba polling 10, 366 votes representing 42.31% of the total votes against NPP’s Wuni Thomas Buanab 6,845 votes representing 27.94%.

The resounding defeat is said to have dampened spirits within the ranks of the NPP.

Reliable information gathered indicates that immediately after the elections, the NPP held two meetings in quick successions. Our sources revealed that one of the meetings was held in the Nima residence of the NPP flagbearer.

At the meeting said to have been mostly graced by Akufo-Addo loyalists in the party, the blame for the Talensi defeat was heaped on John Boadu, the National Organiser of the NPP (also a known Akufo-Addo loyalist).

Apparently, John Boadu failed to relay the needed resources (mostly financial resources) to party “foot-soldiers” on the ground in Talensi to mobilize voters.

In the meeting, the National Chairman and General Secretary of the party, Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong respectively who have been sidelined from the organization of the Talensi by-elections, were visibly missing.

It is believed that the NPP election mobilization in Talensi was directly handled by Akufo-Addo and his loyalists consisting of party executives, friends and family members such as his controversial nephew, Gabby Asare-Otchere Darko.

While on the ground in Talensi, Akufo-Addo’s entourage was reported to have lavished the resources needed for mobilization purposes on their personal luxury as they booked the most lavish hotels and guest houses in the Upper East Region.

Information from Akufo-Addo’s campaign office indicates that while in the UK, the ageing flagbearer of the main opposition party would be meeting with branch executives of the NPP in the UK, as well as inaugurating new branches of the party in the UK.

But this has raised discontent among a cross-section of party followers who opine that doing that would be equal to usurping the executive duties of the National Chairman and General Secretary.

Questions have been raised over his outlined itinerary of meeting and inaugurating branch offices in the UK, particularly when he has been criticized for not stepping foot in any constituency branch of the NPP since he was elected flagbearer of the party mid last year.

Akufo-Addo’s posture is increasingly being seen as one bent on sideling Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong, who have been penciled for impeachment by Akufo-Addo loyalists.

The predicament of the two top executives is borne out of a strong perception by the Akufo-Addo camp in the NPP that they were working secretly to scuttle the flagbearer’s presidential ambition.

The saga escalated when the two executives recently had a confrontation with the Upper Eastern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Adams Mahama (also a known loyalist of Akufo-Addo). The confrontation led to retaliation from suspected loyalists of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong, who doused Adam Mahama with a gallon of acid, leading to his gruesome death.

Adam Mahama’s death has given greater impetus to pro-Akufo-Addo party members to reinforce their calls for the impeachment of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong.

After the Talensi election, a second meeting is said to have been held at the residence of one of the elders of the party, where Akufo-Addo was implored upon to back down from the impeachment move on the two embattled top party executives. But Akufo-Addo is alleged to have been upset with the call, saying it is being presented as though he was pulling the strings for the impeachment.

The meeting, according to the Republic Newspaper sources, ended inconclusively.

But critics point out to some sinister coincidences in every travel Akufo-Addo had made abroad since becoming flagbearer of the NPP for the third time.

Reference has been made to his travel to Germany which saw the bloody clash at the party’s headquarters between party thugs and bodyguards of Afoko/Agyapong. His recent European tour curiously coincided with the tussle that led to the death of Adam Mahama.

This third sojourn in the UK has left serious anxiety within the party, as supporters are unsure of what radical event may likely take place in his absence, the Republic newspaper has learnt.