Tindana of Talensi defends NPP; says party respected his tradition

The chief priest (Tindana) of Baare in the Talensi Constituency of the Upper East region has risen to the defence of the opposition New Patriotic Party.

He said the team of NPP leaders that called on him last week simply respected the tradition of the Talensi people by paying a courtesy call on him.

Images of bare-chested New Patriotic Party campaigners in Talensi in the Upper East Region were given a distorted meaning.

Many on social media and tabloid newspapers and news portals published the pictures alongside stories that claimed the men had gone to visit a shrine to obtain powers meant to help the opposition party win the by-election there.

When the team of NPP guys campaigning in the constituency went to the Community where the Tindana resides, they went to seek his permission and his blessings as custodian of the land.

The team, led by Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly called, Chairman Wontumi, as tradition demanded removed their shirts and appeared before the Tindana, Baare Tindaan at the Zupelga in the Talensi Constituency.

Obviously excited by the tradition to which some of them were not accustomed, they took photographs and shared them on social media.

Before long, the photographs had been splashed on social media by adherents of their political opponents who claimed they had consulted a shrine for political victory.

Subsequently, some newspapers carried the photographs on their front pages, accusing the NPP of occultism.

But responding to the development, the Tindana told journalists that if any other political party delegation had called on him, they would have been received.

He said it was only the NPP that recognized that the land there has a custodian and deemed it fit to visit him.

According to the Tindana, not wearing shirts and having visitors remove their shirts before meeting with him is tradition that has been handed him and he is not ashamed to uphold it.

He expressed regret that the visit to him by the NPP has been misconstrued as a spiritual consultation.

Joy News’ Upper East Regional Correspondent, Albert Sore and other journalists who covered a press conference by the Tindana, all removed their shirts.