A fierce internal power struggle is brewing within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bantama Constituency of the Ashanti Region, with allegations of manipulation, exclusion and attempts to influence the outcome of the party’s upcoming internal elections.
Tensions reached boiling point after a section of delegates, led by Constituency Chairman Fiifi Mensah, accused the Member of Parliament (MP), Francis Asenso-Boakye, the First Vice Chairman and the Constituency Youth Organiser of orchestrating the removal of delegates’ names from the polling station album without justification.
The aggrieved members contend that the alleged alterations are part of a calculated effort to shape the electoral college in favour of preferred candidates ahead of the constituency elections.
Addressing party supporters and delegates, Mr. Mensah condemned what he described as attempts to manipulate the democratic process for personal gain.
“Let’s do a peaceful process, let’s do all the campaign you can and do the election for me to lose peacefully. But when we don’t do it that way and you think you have to manipulate or take people out because of selfish interest, it won’t happen,” he declared.
The controversy took a dramatic turn on Monday, June 22, when the Constituency Chairman reportedly seized the polling station album and locked up his office to prevent other executives from gaining access to the document at the centre of the dispute.
The development triggered heightened tension at the constituency office and prompted the intervention of officers from the Suntreso District Police Command, who were deployed to maintain law and order.
According to Mr. Mensah, Bantama had enjoyed relative peace until what he described as a deliberate attempt by certain individuals to manipulate the delegates’ register.
“Bantama was peaceful, everything was going on, until we realised that the MP and a group of people intended to completely manipulate the polling station album to suit the choices of people who would be executives,” he alleged.
He stressed that the NPP has established procedures governing its internal elections and insisted that all stakeholders must be allowed to participate in a transparent and credible process.
“There is a process the party goes through, and we all want to go through the process. So if we run the thing peacefully, whoever gets elected is elected and becomes an executive. We go for the election, whoever wins, wins. Fair, cool,” he said.
The Chairman further expressed concern over what he described as attempts to sideline key party officials from the electoral process.
“Bantama is for all of us; it’s not for anybody. Can you imagine an album that a constituency chairman, who is supposed to be leading the process, has been taken out of the process? Because the MP has built his own group, planning the whole show, and now they are taking people out?” he queried.
Calling for calm, Mr. Mensah maintained that the only path to lasting unity within the constituency is through a transparent and credible electoral process.
“We must do a fair and clean album. For peace to prevail in Bantama, we will go for a peaceful election,” he stated.
The aggrieved delegates are expected to petition the regional and national leadership of the NPP to investigate the allegations and ensure that the constituency elections are conducted fairly.
The unfolding dispute has exposed deep cracks within one of the NPP’s most influential constituencies and raises fresh concerns about internal cohesion ahead of the party’s reorganisation process.
