The Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bugri Naabu was slapped in the chest during a violent encounter with his immediate predecessor on Friday night at the Modern City Hotel in Tamale.

The confrontation occurred when Bugri called an emergency meeting involving regional executives and President Nana Akufo- Addo who was in the region on a working visit.

The meeting, according to Starr News sources, was among other deliberations to report to the President the unending rows between some party executives and government appointees in the region and how party members were painting themselves into dangerous corners.

The former chairman of the party, Mr Haruna Tia also known as Harun Bees reportedly rained insults on Bugri Naabu before striking his chest hard with open fingers as he struggled to climb the hotel steps into the room where the President and other senior government officials were waiting.

Bugri was attacked for allegedly removing and replacing members of both the Regional Council of Patrons and Elders without any consultation. Mr. Haruna was a member of the Council of Patrons and his name was expunged and replaced without any form of communication.

The chairman told a radio station he was accused of deliberately taking out names of perceived rivals and putting in names of his supporters. He said while on his way to address the meeting, the former chairman suddenly came up to him and questioned his authority to reconstitute the Regional Council of Patrons and Elders.

“I was going to address the meeting the President wanted to have with the people so when I was about to go and climb the story building, Harun Bees came to me and said, ‘look, I want to tell you, the selection you made’ change it, and I said what selection…He said Council of Patrons and Elders and I asked him why should I change it. I said why? After all, I have done the selection, not only me; we are regional executives so why should change it”

“…That I don’t like Dagombas and I asked him those people I chose are they not Dagombas, before I realized he has given me blow in my chest. In fact, the young boys who were with me wanted to take action and I said no; if you love me, you love the party, you love Nana, forget it, let’s go and I went”, Bugri Naabu explained how the attacked unfolded.

Asked how he reacted to the assault, Bugri said: “I just asked him is that the way we solve problem, thank you and I walked away. What will I say? because I didn’t want it to be seen that there is a problem because so many things were going on”, adding further he didn’t hit back because “by now he (Harun Bees) will have been dead and they will say that chairman Bugri has killed somebody. I won’t do it so I think I leave everything with the elders and the police”.

It was not clear whether the President was informed about the confrontation, nonetheless, the situation revives worries among party foot soldiers and grassroots supporters over the internal rift that keeps widening.

The relationship between the Regional Coordinating Council and party secretariat continues to deteriorate following the chairman’s uncompromising approach.

The new membership of the Regional Council of Patrons reconstituted on 29th September 2017 include; Mr. Francis Tetteh, Alhaji Joe Kadiri, Alhaji Abubakari Abdulai Zabaga, Saibu Kaleem and Mrs. Marfo. Others are, Mrs. Emelia Aseidu, Hajia Rukaya Ahmed, Hajia Ayisha, Alhaji Chief Adjei and Alhaji Sulemana Yussif.

Members of the new Regional Council of Elders also are as follows: Alhai Mumuni Issah (MIMA), Mr. Wilson Binabiba, Chief Mahama, Alhaji Adam Cockrah, Hajia Naako, Hajia Fati Issahaku (Fati Wobgu), Mr. Bawa Baako, Alhaji A.A Bawa, Alhaji Zakaria Adam and Mr. Dubik Mahama.