Allegations of Intimidation in NPP Presidential Primaries Up North: A Journey to Another Defeat

By Bala Ali
Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong first raised the alarm when a campaign tour took him to Bunkpurugu in the North East Region. This was not one of those wild allegations but a claim that was backed by evidence. One of his supporters explained with video evidence, how Ken's votes in the 2023 presidential primaries were added to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's. He did this by showing to the whole world a picture of his vote for Ken in a video. This contradicted the electoral records of Ken scoring zero in the Bunkpurugu/Nankpanduri Constituency.

Subsequently, the supporters of Ken in most of the areas in the northern part of the country reported that they were being intimidated in their communities for exercising their democratic right of choice. Again, Ken complained about it but the media failed to give this issue the attention it deserves. Ken also complained about how some Members of Parliament, chiefs and party leaders in the northern part of the country were compaigning on tribal grounds, telling the delegates to vote for their own. Imagine how precarious this could be to our democracy if nothing is done about it!

This desperation-inspired, political, suicidal move resurfaced when Dr. Bryan Acheampong took his campaign tour to the northern part of the country a couple of days ago. The Abetifi lawmaker has complained to the media about the same stories of intimidation, alleging that delegates supporting some candidates from the southern part of the country are being intimidated.

As a political watcher, I see this precedent as a threat to NPP's electoral fortunes should Dr. Bawumia win the primaries under such unfortunate a circumstance. And this is not just a threat to the NPP, but also to the northern bloc of the country.

If the NPP as a party fails to address this issue and Dr. Bawumia wins the presidential primaries with huge numbers from the northern part of the country, this situation will create a serious voter apathy in the southern sector in the rank and file of the NPP. This, coupled with the Alan Kyerematen factor, would spell eternal doom for the NPP.

The National Executive Council of the NPP and the current national leaders would cause the party the greatest harm, if they close their eyes to this appalling and sensitive issue. In fact, the party would suffer the worst of social disintegration if nothing is done about this despicable demonstration of greed-inspired desperation.

Before the party leadership acts, let the Members of Parliament, chiefs and other opinion leaders from the north be told the plain and bitter truth. Should Dr. Bawumia win the primaries under this circumstance, he would suffer the most embarrassing defeat in the 2028 elections because of the voter apathy the party might suffer in the southern sector. This will, in turn, spell doom for all the northerners in the party as no northerner would ever be given the opportunity to lead at that level of politics.

Of course, this epistle cannot be concluded without warning the NPP leadership about the looming danger. If nothing is done about this, right thinking party members will get angry at any attempt to call for unity after the primaries. And that is how Professor Frimpong Boateng's view of the current national leaders of the party will be established as the gospel truth.

The author is an independent political observer, a columnist with Modern Ghana, an esteemed online news portal, and a regular contributor to News Commentary, a current affairs programme by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).