Afoko Boys Attacked Freddy Blay Not Azoka Boys—Koku Anyidoho

The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has dismissed claims that some youth of the party attacked leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Talensi, where a by-election was being held.

Freddie Blay, a vice chairman of the NPP; Kwabena Abankwa-Yeboah, national treasurer of the NPP; and former deputy minister for youth and sports in the Kufuor administration, Rashid Bawa, all claimed to have been beaten up by Azorka Boys, a youth group affiliated to the NDC.

Mr Abankwa-Yeboah and Mr Bawa even alleged that the assault on them was sanctioned by Interior Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo.

But in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM Tuesday, Mr Anyidoho denied the involvement of NDC youth in the attack.

He claimed that investigations he carried out revealed that it was youth loyal to NPP National Chairman, Paul Afoko, who attacked Mr Blay and his team.

He said information he gathered revealed that Mr Blay was attacked because he was deemed to be undermining Mr Afoko’s position and authority in the NPP.

Stressing that the NDC conducted itself properly at Talensi, Mr Anyidoho said his party member were rather the victims of an assault by NPP youth.

He said the car of an NDC deputy organiser was destroyed by youth of the NPP, who he said had massed up in front of their party office and barricaded roads.

“They tried to attack me but I swerved them and ran to a police station,” he said.

Mr Anyidoho said while he was lodging a complaint at the police station, some NPP youth came there “baying for my blood”, adding that he did not know what he had done wrong.

The NDC Deputy General Secretary added that he had to personally plead with NDC youth, who he said were angered by the attack on their party officials, to remain calm.