How Paul Aidoo's Unsubstantiated Allegations Endanger Unity-Building in Awutu Senya West NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) entered the 2024 elections with a divided front after Mr. Alan Kojo Kyerematen broke away to contest as an independent candidate. Aside from Mr. Kyerematen, many party members harboured unresolved grievances. Consequently, the party suffered serious voter apathy.

Because of this, all members of the NPP — from the flagbearer to the polling station executive — are now preaching unity. The gospel of unity featured prominently in the party’s presidential primaries, as all the aspirants, including the current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, preached it on every campaign platform. This message of unity continues to ring out like the devotional bell of the Catholic Church as national executive hopefuls run their campaigns.

It is therefore concerning to see the NPP Constituency Chairman for Awutu Senya West, Mr. Paul Aidoo, allegedly inciting a section of party members against certain individuals contesting for constituency executive positions.

In an audio I intercepted, Mr. Aidoo is heard addressing a group of NPP members, perhaps on a WhatsApp platform. In the said audio, he told them he had spoken with Mr. Eugene Arhin, and that Mr. Arhin had promised to get in touch with them ahead of the pending constituency elections.

He then alleged that when he called for constituency executive meetings, the executives who failed to attend now have time to spend over one week in the constituency campaigning for re-election. “This shows the evil intentions some of these constituency officers harboured against Eugene,” Mr. Aidoo opined.

He further alleged that some of these individuals engaged in “skirt and blouse” campaigning against Eugene, to the extent of allegedly paying voters to vote against the 2024 NPP parliamentary candidate. He promised to use that against them in the upcoming constituency elections.

At a time when every reasonable member of the party is calling for unity, we at Features Zone find Chairman Paul Aidoo’s comments a serious threat to party unity in the constituency. This makes him a danger to the electoral fortunes of the party.

This “skirt and blouse” gospel, as preached by Paul Aidoo and a section of NPP members, is not new. However, none of those peddling this narrative has yet produced a shred of evidence to back their claim. Until they provide evidence to support their allegation, they remain people hiding behind the passions and emotions of party loyalists to settle personal scores. For the sake of party unity, we find it unnecessary to give a historical account of how Paul Aidoo and his target(s) became adversaries.

That said, I want Paul Aidoo to understand that the interest his position should serve is the party’s, not personal hatred toward his targets. If he continues this way, it is the party that will suffer. He is also creating enemies for Eugene Arhin, and this does not serve the political interest of the person he claims to be championing.

We do not need the wisdom of elders to appreciate that Chairman Paul’s comments in the audio are deepening disunity in the party. If that is the case, he is not serving the interest of the party in the constituency and must be called to order.

I hereby call on the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and all relevant stakeholders to intervene in Awutu Senya West before one person destroys the party in pursuit of personal interest. The grassroots of the party should also ask Chairman Paul to back his claims with evidence if he wants to be taken seriously.

The author is a regular contributor to News Commentary, a current affairs programme by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and a columnist with Modern Ghana, an esteemed online news portal