Navrongo NPP Still Divided

Fifty-seven New Patriotic Party (NPP) Polling Station Chairmen in the Navrongo Central Constituency of the Upper East Region together with other party activists are bent on preventing sleeping dogs from lying, until a fresh constituency primary is organized in the area.

The leadership and almost all the members of the demonstrating crowd had sworn to ensure that the party pays dearly for harbouring complacency and disrespect for the Rule of Law regarding the running of the party.

The recent demonstration is the third that the same group had organized since the acclamation of the current Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Joseph Kofi Adda as the NPP parliamentary candidate for this year's election.

A Police authority however said the demonstration was illegal because the date the group gave to the police and the date the event took place did not tally, hence the withdrawal of Police protection mid way into the demonstration.

According to the Deputy Upper East Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Amidu Mahama, the leadership of the group presented a letter informing the police that the demonstration was to take place on the 17th of July, saying his outfit was surprised to see the group demonstrating on the 17 of June.

“I believe the leaders of the demonstration will have some questions to answer over why they did not stick to their scheduled time. I think they have something to hide or they intended to deceive the police which is not the best for our society.”

Fortunately, nothing unfortunate happened throughout the procession, but onlookers wondered what exactly the group intended to achieve by that action.

According to a statement signed by the Coordinator of the Polling Station Chairmen, Robert Wezena Alasko, the group had no intention to derail the party from its obvious victory, but it was only insisting that their rights, responsibilities and respect as Polling Station Chairmen and party activists had been taken away from them and they want them restored.

They insist that the right thing to do when more than one person are contesting for the ticket of a party is to organize a primary to select the most popular and acceptable candidate for the party and impose one of the candidates on party members.

The group is now threatening that if after the demonstration nothing is heard about organising a fresh constituency primary, they would ensure a massive defection from the party.

Meanwhile, signs are clear that the leadership of the aggrieved group would not have the total support of the party if it proposes a defection, because some followers of the group have not known any other party apart from the NPP, while others have come to join the party from the NDC and PNC and will naturally like to go back to their parties.

The constituency office of the NPP was closed at the time the demonstrators got there to present a petition to be forwarded to the national executives. The petition was however received by the constituency second vice chairman who said he was attracted to the office through a radio announcement.

Meanwhile, a source close to the MP for the area said preparations were underway for the candidate and his team to start a vigorous campaign toward winning the seat once again for the NPP.

From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Navrongo