Everybody in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) knows that the party First Vice-Chairman and a former Convention People’s Party (CPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembele in the Western Region, Mr. Fredrick Worsemao Blay, got elected on the wings of Nana Akufo-Addo’s support.

The Kufuor/Alan faction, also helped Mr. Sammy Crabbe to get the position as Second National Vice-Chairman of the NPP.

With this background, the two (Freddie Blay, Sammy Crabbe), are fighting over the authenticity of the tape assumed to be the voice of the Party’s Northern Regional Chairman, Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu, accusing some persons, including Mr. Sammy Crabbe; National Chairman, Mr. Paul Afoko and the General Secretary, Kwebena Agyei Agyepong, of plotting to thwart the chances of Nana Akufo-Addo in next year’s presidential election.

Whiles Chairman Afoko and Sammy Crabbe want the tape investigated, Mr. Freddie Blay strongly disagrees.

According to reports, the NPP’s Second National Chairman has given the assurance that the tape would be properly scrutinized so as to ascertain the voices on the tape; claiming that Mr. Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong are plotting to frustrate the chances of the Party’s 2016 flagbearer from becoming President.

“We shall get to the bottom of this because we are not going to let it be. I don’t want to be walking out there for people in the party to think that I am a sellout, I am not a sellout. I want to find out who it is; the person must own up,” Sammy Crabbe is quoted to have angrily said.

According to him, the damning allegations on the tape goes to undermine the integrity of those alleged on the tape to be plotting the defeat of Nana Addo in 2016; asserting that no stone will be left inverted in order to uncover the identity of the author of the said tape.

“We have a tape, there is a voice to it, it’s been denied. We want external help in determining whose voice is it so that we can exonerate every single person whose name has been mentioned there because, we believe that nobody, whose name has been mentioned on that tape has really done what is being claimed to have been done,” Mr. Crabbe is reported as saying.

Mr. Fredrick Worsemao Blay has condemned calls by senior party members, including Mr. Sammy Crabbe, that Bugri Naabu’s tape should be investigated.

Rubbishing the tape, Mr. Blay, on the contrary, holds the view that the tape does not merit investigation as being proposed, and that, it will be a waste of resources and time on the part of the party in trying to let the tape gain what he terms “currency”.

His argument is that, they have met as a party to discuss the tape and have realized that there was no need to spend time investigating the tape when the man at the centre of the controversy had publicly come out to deny having said what is being alleged.

Wanting to clear his name of the negative allegations leveled against him, Chairman Afoko, according to a statement issued by the General Secretary last Friday, has directed that a forensic test be conducted on the tape in view of the denial by the Northern Regional Chairman.

“In view of the gravity of the allegations made in the said audio recording and the subsequent denial by Mr. Bugri Naabu, the National Chairman has directed that the audio recording be forwarded for forensic examination.

A thorough investigation into this matter is justifiable in order to ascertain the identity of the voice on the tape and the veracity of its contents.

The outcome of the investigation is expected to “expose any mischief meant to undermine the unity of the party”, the statement concludes.