Pastors backed NPP not for ideology, but out of dislike for Rawlings — A Plus claims

Kwame Asare Obeng, also known as A Plus, has made some claims about the support base of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking in an interview on Hitz FM, A Plus indicated that many pastors and members of the NPP are driven by their dislike of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, rather than a true alignment with the party's ideology.

A Plus explained that Rawlings, during his time in power, aimed to reform certain practices in churches.

He supported churches like Action Chapel and Archbishop Agyinasare's ministry, but opposed what A Plus referred to as "exploitative" practices in other churches.

This opposition, according to A Plus, led to a backlash from pastors who became supporters of the NPP, not out of ideological support, but out of resentment towards Rawlings.

"Rawlings supported Action Chapel; he supported Archbishop Agyinasare's church; he supported them and ensured that he got rid of this ‘go and bring your underwear and let's burn it’ churches," A Plus stated.

He emphasized that this discontent among pastors contributed to their shift towards the NPP to oppose Rawlings, adding, "So all these pastors, the majority of them, are NPP, and it is not because they understand the ideology; no, they just don't like Rawlings."

A Plus further alleged that many NPP members' parents were involved in corrupt practices, which Rawlings smoked them out during his tenure, leading to arrests and punishments.

He expressed admiration for Rawlings' charisma and influence, comparing him to Kwame Nkrumah, but lamented that Rawlings eventually became weary and "gave up" on his goals.

"Rawlings is part of the problem that we are facing now because he gave up. Rawlings was the only person who could tell everybody in Ghana to sleep, and everybody would sleep, so he had the opportunity to do a lot, but at one point, he was tired," A Plus explained.