A former Interior Minister in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Nana Obiri Boahene, has chastised former Attorney-General of the party for suggesting that there is a rift between Ashantis and Akyems in the New Patriotic Party.

A senior member of the party, Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo recently raised concerns that the ethnic rivalry within the opposition party was a cardinal reason why Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, an Akyem, lost his 2008 and 2012 presidential bid.

But Nana Obiri-Boahene expressed surprise that a seasoned and respected lawyer of Ayikoi Otoo standing could buy into the lies being peddled about the NPP. Speaking in an interview with OKAY FM, Nana Obiri-Boahene rated Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo a neophyte in politics for lending credence to the allegation.

He admonished Mr. Otoo to consider his status within the NPP and focus on his campaign for Chairmanship without using divisive tribal campaign messages to climb to the top.

According to him, the NPP has structured their executive membership in a way that people from various tribes stand a chance to be voted into positions to lead the party.

However, he observed that, “when you look at the NDC, you have the Chairman coming from the Volta Region and his deputy, Kofi Adams, is also from the same region. Their National Youth Organizer, Ludwig hails from the Volta Region and their Woman’s Organizer, Anita De Soso is also from the Volta Region”.   He wondered why people are harping so much on the Akyem/Ashanti rivalry in the NPP, but appear not concerned about the blatant ethnic bias regarding the leadership structure of the National Democratic Congress.