Former 3rd Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Massawudu Osman, widely known as Chairman Buga, has explained why he did not retaliate against Alhaji Sofo Azorka, 1st Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), during a confrontation at the Akwatia by-election.

Azorka and Chairman Buga clashed physically and verbally at the Akwatia event on September 2, 2025.

Chairman Buga said Azorka cannot match his energy and that he resisted the temptation to retaliate because of his royal upbringing.

“Everybody knows that Azorka cannot push me on the floor; even if I’m dead, he cannot, because I am a Dagomba and a royal as well. I have been brought up in a responsible home, so I won’t go into the gutters with Azorka if he chooses to misbehave,” he said on Sagani TV monitored by MyNewsGh.com.

He lamented how often northerners turn on one another over politics, warning that such attitudes could hurt development in the north.

“We have various tribes across the country in leading positions, and they don’t fight each other. So why are we northerners always fighting one another? If we don’t stop this practice, we will spend our time fighting instead of pursuing development,” he said.

He added that, as a royal, he will not let provocation push him into behaviour that could damage his family’s reputation.

“You all saw how he attempted to slap me. If I had slapped him back, people would have blamed me, but since I have been brought up well in a royal family, I won’t destroy my reputation because of Azorka,” he noted.

Chairman Buga made the remarks in response to claims that his encounter with Azorka at Akwatia may have contributed to his defeat at the recent NPP National Congress.