The infighting in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not only blown out of proportion, but also planned and executed by forces outside the Danquah-Busia-Dombo family, the party's flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, has said.

Mr Akufo-Addo told party supporters at a fundraising dinner in London that: "We now have good reason to believe that some of these are instigated from outside the party."

The internal disturbances have led to the death of two party members – Upper East regional chairman Adam Mahama, and an activist in Asawase, Ashanti Region, Saddiq Abubakar. The two incidents happened about seven months apart.

While Mahama died after being bathed in acid by his rivals, Saddiq succumbed to multi-stab wounds inflicted on him by a faction.

Both murders resulted from disagreements concerning the party’s chairman Paul Afoko, now suspended indefinitely. The pro-Afoko group still holds the first-ever elected northern chairman as the recongised legitimate leader of the party despite his suspension. The other faction sees Mr Afoko and his fans as saboteurs who have wasted no opportunity to work against the party interest, as well as that of the flagbearer.

The party’s deputy general secretary Nana Obiri Boahen and acting chairman Freddie Blay have mentioned on different media platforms that the NPP’s woes are induced by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in cahoots with NPP members who mean the party no good.

That allegation was given a shot in the arm over the weekend when Mr Akufo-Addo told party members that the NPP has evidence to that effect.

Despite the NPP’s internal troubles, Mr Akufo-Addo said: "We shall not forget one thing. We are the heir of the noblest tradition in Ghanaian politics and the most durable."

"Our tradition has survived deaths, detentions and exiles during the first republic. It has survived military takeovers of the country’s history and out of it all, it has emerged as the most formidable political party in Ghana with the clearest message of freedom, progress and prosperity," he observed.