War of words between two temperamental regional party chairmen heats up: NDC Azoka tells NPP Bugri to stay away.

Many people in the northern region anticipated this and waited for long to see how the strong regional political parties leaders will lead their followers either to victory or a loss in the December 7th Ghana’s high stakes elections.

The umbrella and the elephant families (NPP &NDC) undoubtedly are the political heavyweights in the polarized Ghanaian society, especially in northern Ghana.

Expectations are that, the political temperature in the region will go up a couple of notches given the temperamental disposition of the the maverick two chair persons, Chief Awudu Sofo Azoka of the NDC and Mr Daniel Bugre Naabu of the NPP. These gentlemen are well known to sometimes engage in loose talk and absurd utterances.

Little has been heard from the governing party’s northern regional chairman since his party won power leading many to believe that he has taken a low profile which is in stark contrast to his outgoing personality

Meanwhile, his counterpart, the regional NPP chairman, Mr Naabu, has crafted a savvy strategy of being all over the media landscape, taking potshots at his main opponent.

The recent launch of NDC campaign in Cape Coast was apparently the opportunity Mr Naabu was waiting for to continue nagging his opponent who did not attend the launch. Speaker after speaker at the Cape Coast sports stadium set the stage for Bugre Naabu to tear into his target.

While other NPP bigwigs were watching and taking notes to respond, Mr Naabu focused his lens on who was there and who was not. His counterpart Azoka, according to him, was conspicuously missing at the crucial event. As would be expected, Mr Bugri tore into Azoka in the media for “dereliction of duty,” so to speak.
.
Mr Naabu in response to president John Dramani Mahama’s criticisms of the NPP’s intolerance towards anyone, neither celebrities nor ordinary Ghanaian are talking positive about his NDC government. He also asked the whereabouts of former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the former running mate to the late president Atta Mills and chief Sofo Azoka at the launch.

But Azoka told him to clean his own house before interfering in the matters of another house.

The Northern Regional Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress, Chief Sofo Azoka descended heavily on the NPP Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugre Naabu, for questioning his absence at the just-ended NDC campaign launch in Cape Coast.
Chairman Azoka said Bugre Naabu has no locus to question his absence at an NDC event, because his own party (NPP) held several events without their party chairman and general secretary.
He also dismissed rumours that all is not well among the regional executives and speculations about disaffection were just people’s own imaginations.

Chairman Azoka also explained that rumours about the Tamale South MP not leading the regional campaign team are a nonstarter, adding that he is solidly behind anyone leading the campaign team of the region.

Chairman Azoka in response told Zaa News at his residence that, Bugri Naabu has no moral right to question his absence at the campaign because in his own party, the NPP, all is not well as there is disgruntlement.

He  said as a royal family member in the Kpembi traditional Area, urgent issues took him away and all those concerned in the party were duly informed.
“I, the DCE, and the member of parliament are all from Kpembi traditional area and we couldn’t have all been absent as it would have caused us a big problem, hence my decision to delegate my vice chairman to represent me,” Azoka explained.

He urged Bugre Naabu to rather be interested in the internal wrangling which has torn the NPP apart. He questioned Bugre Naabu about the whereabouts of ten motor bikes belonging to the NPP and the issue between him and the regional youth organizer.

“We know, Nana Akufo Addo is behind every demonstration in Ghana and demonstrations have become, what he called “Synonymous” with the NPP flagbearer, ” Azoka said. “Nana Addo is popular in Ghana because he is the most violent guy who has been leading demonstrations and he is using these to mislead Ghanaians, He continued; the history of Nana Akuffou Addo is demonstration.

A politician who revels in demonstrations cannot lead this country and I urged the NPP to look for someone who has Ghanaians at heart irrespective of where they come from. He told Bugre Naabu to focus on his contract work, which he is noted for and leave the politicians to do politics.

The President never gave six million Ghana cedis to anyone in the region to organize party supporters to welcome him during the last leg of the “accounting to the people” tour and questioned where president would have gotten such amount of money.

Chairman Azoka also took on the NPP for lying that the people in the northern region refused to come out to welcome President Mahama during the last leg of the “accounting to the people” tour.

He also dismissed allegations that the president gave six million Ghana cedis to NDC regional executives to organize people, adding that the president will not take tax payer’s money for such an enterprise and urged the NPP in the region to rather focus on their message for the electorate on why they should vote for them.

Rumor mills have it that the selection of former northern regional mminister, Mohammed-Muniru Limuna created some disaffection among the rank and file and some foot soldiers.

But Azoka said, he knows the Employment and Labour minister well and he will not cause problem because he has not been selected to lead regional campaign team.

“I will not suspend anyone like Bugre Naabu did when he suspended his vice chairman and sacked the regional women organizer, I am not such a chairman,” he said.

The outspoken chairman also challenged journalists in Ghana to probe the NPP on what exactly it did with the money that was given to the nation when it became a Highly Indebted Poorly Country (HIPC), during former president John Agyekum Kufour’s regime.

The money was meant only for the construction of public toilets, but nothing came out of it. He stressed that the NPP is the most corrupt party in Ghana. NPP is the most corrupt and divide and rule party, that’s why we called it Y3 Chadi party.

Touting president Mahama’s records, Azoka said in less than four years in office the NDC under president Mahama has achieved more than the NPP in eight years and made comparison between the NDC’s Green Book which chronicles the party’s developmental achievements and the NPP’s  Yellow Book.

Parliamentary seats in the region
When asked if his outfit has what it takes to win all 31 parliamentary seats in the northern region, chairman Azoka admitted that he can only vouch for 27 but was not sure about four seats.
He was however sure that, president Mahama will win in the all the 31 constituencies.