The General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia aka General Mosquito, is wondering how Mr Ayikoi Otoo, an aspiring National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), could attribute the issue of tribalism in his party to the NDC, claiming the former Attorney-General could only say that under the influence of a ‘Gbeshie’.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Catalyst, Mr Nketia was emphatic that Mr. Otoo is on record to have said that the Ashantis in the party failed to come out to support Nana Akufo-Addo when he needed about .50% to win the 2008 elections.

He further stated that, if Ayikoi Otoo could turn around to deny what he himself had said on radio, then he could only be under the influence of a 'gbeshie', making reference to the excuse the lawyer used to save Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), the NPP’s General Secretary, from jail during the election petition hearing.

‘Ayikoi Otoo hit the nail right on the head when he talked about tribal factions in the NPP, and I thought it was the right time for them (NPP) to tackle the issue, only for him to turn around to accuse the NDC. He could only be under the influence of a gbeshie as he said of Sir John”

General Mosquito contended that Mr Otoo was just revealing the true character of the NPP because when the party presented former President Kufuor as their candidate in 1996, they claimed the party was an Akan party.

He recalled that the NPP tried to paint the NDC as an Ewe party, compelling the likes of him (General Mosquito) to come out to contest some positions. “We were winning the Brong Ahafo, Western and Eastern Regions until in 2000 when they painted the party (NDC) as an Ewe party”

He said there were instances where people questioned how Akans like Asiedu Nketia could be in the NDC due to the propaganda of the NPP that the NDC was an Ewe party.

Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo, who is aspiring to become the National Chairman of the NPP, had claimed the NPP was divided along tribal lines, a situation that was affecting the party, only to turn around to blame the NDC for doing propaganda with the tribal issue when he came under criticism from his own party men.