Family war in NPP turns dirty

THE race to occupy various positions within the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Western Region, has turned into a dirty family war among three incumbent regional executives of the party, who are engaged in smear campaign against each other.

Mr. Kojo Acquah, Regional Organiser and Anthony K. Sam, Regional Secretary, have allegedly teamed up and are doing everything possible to get rid of the incumbent Regional Chairman, Nana Owusu-Ankomah.

The Regional Chairman was also reported to have engaged in a similar campaign to cause the defeat of the two, during the party congress scheduled to come off on the 30th of this month.

The situation has paved the way for accusations and counter-accusations between the Regional Chairman and the two executives, who are desperately working to get their favourites elected at the constituency level.

The situation has also led to the initiation of court actions against the party. In Ellembelle, for instance, a court has placed an injunction on the constituency election, following an accusation that a Convention People's Party (CPP) Treasurer has been given the green light to contest the election.

In the Bia constituency, an injunction has also been placed on the election. All these legal actions against the party were allegedly caused by the three regional executives.

Interestingly, the Ahanta West Organiser of the party, Mr. Kwesi Tawiah, faulted the camp of Kojo Acquah of fomenting problems and legal actions against the party.

Tawiah told this paper that he had evidence that Kojo Acquah and his group had been inciting delegates within the party to take legal actions against the party in constituencies where their favoured candidates lost the elections.

He cited, for instance, that he had evidence that Kojo Acquah was inciting delegates in Enchi and Prestea Hunni-Valley to take legal action against the party, all because, the Kojo Acquah-preferred choice of executives lost their positions in the elections.

Kojo Acquah, the incumbent Regional Organiser and Anthony K. Sam, also the incumbent Secretary, are in the camp of the former Deputy Regional Minister, Mr. Kwasi Blay, and Kwesi Biney, former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ahanta West, and have been labeled as rebels trying to remove the Regional Chairman.

Kojo Acquah confirmed in interview with The Chronicle that the relationship between him and the Nana Owusu Ankomah was not the best.

“I think he does not deserve to be elected the Chairman, because he did not perform well. I do not support his Chairmanship bid, and that has created the perceived animosity between us,” he said.

He also confirmed that he and his group were engaged in a smear campaign against the Regional Chairman for his defeat at the congress.

This was because the Regional Chairman was also going round campaigning against them. “Nana has been campaigning against me, and I have also been campaigning against him to lose the election,” he added.

Acquah claimed Nana Owusu-Ankomah lacked leadership qualities, and was also not a team player, but however denied the allegation put up by the Ahanta West Organiser that he had been inciting delegates to drag the party to court, when his choice of preferred candidates lose their positions.

On his part, Nana Owusu-Ankomah told this paper that his major focus was to build the party, and not to wash the party's dirty linen in public.