A fresh controversy has erupted within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following claims that Nana Akufo-Addo failed to intervene in internal disputes that ultimately cost the party the Navrongo Central parliamentary seat in the 2020 general elections.
The allegation, made by Moses Amoah, a former NPP Constituency Secretary for Navrongo Central and an aspiring constituency chairman, has triggered a sharp and heated response from former Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage.
Mr. Amoah argued that the intense rivalry between Ms. Abayage and the late Kofi Adda, who was then the sitting Member of Parliament and Minister of Aviation, created deep divisions within the party. According to him, the inability of President Akufo-Addo to resolve the conflict before the elections weakened party unity and contributed significantly to the NPP losing the seat to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
However, Ms. Abayage has strongly rejected the claims, responding with visible anger and dismissing Mr. Amoah’s assertions. In a strongly worded reaction, she warned him to refrain from mentioning her name and criticized his comments as baseless and disrespectful.
The dispute dates back to the NPP parliamentary primaries ahead of the 2020 elections, where Ms. Abayage, then serving as Upper East Regional Minister, contested and defeated Kofi Adda to become the party’s parliamentary candidate for Navrongo Central. Despite her victory in the primaries, she went on to lose the general election to the NDC candidate.
The outcome has since remained a subject of debate within the party. Critics of Ms. Abayage have consistently argued that her decision to challenge the incumbent MP weakened the party’s chances, suggesting that Kofi Adda may have been better positioned to retain the seat. On the other hand, her supporters insist that internal sabotage by loyalists of the late MP contributed to her defeat.
The latest exchange highlights lingering tensions within the NPP at the constituency level and raises broader questions about party cohesion and leadership decisions during critical electoral periods. As internal contests for party positions intensify ahead of future elections, such disputes risk reopening old wounds and deepening divisions within the party.
