Cracks in NPP: Kennedy lands for showdown

Information picked up by DAILY GUIDE indicates that there might be an explosive face-off between Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin North and the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, as the former was scheduled to touch down in Ghana Wednesday night from an official assignment abroad.

Before travelling, the political maverick (Kennedy Agyapong) had made damning allegations against the NPP Chairman, saying he contributed to the party’s defeat because he kept donated logistics for the party’s campaign to himself.

According to Mr. Agyapong, he had personally parted with over US$1 million to purchase motorbikes from China for the opposition party’s campaign mobility in the run up to the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, but the motorbikes were only released to the party less than a week to the elections.

This, he said, robbed the party of the chance to penetrate the hinterlands to mobilize its voters to the polling stations.

According to the Assin North MP, the bikes were kept by some party officials for their personal campaign.

The NPP Chairman has also been accused of under-declaring contributions made by individuals and organizations towards the party’s campaign.

But in a sharp rebuttal, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey has denied the claims, challenging Kennedy Agyapong to prove if he has ever funded the NPP: “What makes him [Kennedy Agyapong] a key financier of the party?’’ Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey fired back at the MP in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM last week.

“…Since 1992 until today as I sit here I have never received a penny from Honourable Kennedy Agyapong; I have never received a bicycle from him, I have never received anything from him to contest or to do anything when I was Chairman of Greater Accra, when I was the campaign manager for J.A. Kufuor twice…” Jake challenged.

This paper can say categorically that given his reputation, Mr. Agyapong would be going to town from today to back his stealing allegations against the party executives, particularly his Party’s Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey whom he has accused of stealing motorbikes he bought for campaign in the run-up to the December 2012 polls.

Sources have disclosed that Mr. Agyapong would not hesitate to reply Jake in equal measure upon his return. Attempts to confirm Mr. Agyapong’s intentions proved futile as several calls put through to his aides by DAILY GUIDE were not answered.

The potential face-off is coming at a time when the pace of internal wrangling within the NPP was picking up as they prepare for delegates congress to elect their national executives. Already mini skirmishes have been recorded among camps within the party.