NPP Abandons ‘Darling Boy’ Okatakyie in Custody
...No Visit, No Solidarity Protest as ‘Ringleader’ Nurses His Wounds
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) appears to have abandoned one of its once-celebrated loyalists and outspoken political commentator, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, who is currently under police guard at a health facility, nursing injuries he reportedly sustained during violent disturbances that marred the party’s constituency executive elections at Afigya Sekyere East in the Ashanti Region.
Afrifa-Mensah, who reportedly sustained injuries during the chaos, remains under police surveillance while receiving treatment.
Yet, unlike the loud protests and high-profile solidarity shown to Dennis “Miracles” Aboagye, the party’s Communications Director hopeful and an aide to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia following his arrest by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over the alleged misappropriation of about GH¢55 million, the NPP leadership has remained conspicuously silent over the commentator’s predicament.
Since his arrest on Saturday, insiders told The AERCHIVES, neither the party hierarchy nor any prominent NPP figures have publicly visited him or mounted a solidarity campaign demanding his release, fueling claims that the party’s support for its members is selective and dictated by internal factional loyalties.
The silence has also sparked criticism from political observers, with some arguing that Afrifa-Mensah has been “used and dumped” after years of vigorously defending the party and its leading figures.
Afrifa-Mensah was arrested together with seven other suspects after violence disrupted the NPP Afigya Sekyere East Constituency Executive Elections at Wiamoase.
According to the Ashanti North Regional Police Command, the incident occurred on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at about 7:45 a.m. at the SDA Church polling station.
In a statement signed by the Regional Public Affairs Officer, Assistant Superintendent Emmanuel Agbodzi, police identified Afrifa-Mensah as the alleged ringleader of a group of about 30 macho men who stormed the polling centre.
Police said security personnel attempted to ascertain the group’s mission, but they allegedly turned aggressive, attacked officers and disrupted the electoral process by scattering election materials.
Afrifa-Mensah and six others were arrested at the scene, while the remaining members of the group reportedly fled. Police say efforts are underway to apprehend the fugitives.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Afrifa-Mensah claimed some of his supporters had been unfairly excluded from the electoral process and insisted he had obtained an interlocutory injunction to halt the election.
However, police stated that neither the Electoral Commission nor the Police had received any court order directing that the election be suspended.
Following the intervention of security personnel, calm was restored and voting resumed under tight security. Polls eventually closed peacefully at about 4:00 p.m., after which the Electoral Commission declared the results.
Later that day, Afrifa-Mensah and another suspect, Osman Awuni, reportedly complained of ill health and were admitted to the Mampong Government Hospital, where they remain under police guard.
The incident comes at a time when the NPP National Secretariat has described the nationwide constituency executive elections as largely successful, reporting that 245 out of 276 constituencies completed the process peacefully.
The Afigya Sekyere East Constituency had earlier been listed among four constituencies earmarked for review by the party’s National Steering Committee because of election-related disputes.
Police say investigations are continuing and further updates will be communicated in due course.
The contrast, however, has become the bigger political story.
While the NPP swiftly rallied behind one of its high-profile officials facing investigation, one of its most vocal media defenders now finds himself isolated in police custody—with no visible visit from party leaders, no public campaign for his release, and no show of solidarity.
For many observers, the episode raises uncomfortable questions about loyalty, factional politics, and whether some party faithful matter more than others.
