The Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mohammed A. Baantima Samba, has refuted an allegation by the party's presidential hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong, that he instructed NPP executives in the region not to meet him (Ken).

Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, had stated that he would avenge an attempt by some regional executives of the party in the northern part of the country to thwart his campaign efforts.

Kennedy Agyapong, during a meeting with the NPP's delegates in the Savannah Region, shared his experience in the Northern and North East regions, where he said that some executives who are supporters of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia prevented him from meeting with the party's delegates.

"Something happened when we went to the Northern Region; Chairman Samba asked his constituency executives not to see me.

"Northern Region, the regional executives failed to meet...N orth East, the regional executives failed to meet me. But I can assure you, I will pay them back big time," he said.

In a statement obtained by GhanaWeb, Mohammed A. Baantima Samba stated that he never instructed his colleagues not to meet with the presidential candidate.

"The claim that the NPP Regional Executives prevented Kennedy from meeting delegates is an outright lie by Kennedy and this is consistent with his known character, FABRICATIONS.

"Whereas the party is entitled to prevent any such campaign meetings by virtue of the directives issued by the General Secretary on behalf of NEC, no such request for a meeting was made by Kennedy and turned down by the party," parts of the statement said.

The regional chairman also refuted the claim that he went to Ken Agyapong's house to lobby for a contract.

According to him, he has never been to the MP's house, and he does not even know where his house is located.

Read the full statement by the NPP Northern Regional Chairman below:

KENNEDY AGYAPONG HAS A REPUTATION FOR OUTRIGHT FABRICATIONS.

My attention has been drawn to an audio of Kennedy Agyapong (MP) where he was campaigning to delegates in a region when the General Secretary, acting on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), has placed an embargo on open campaign.

In the said tape, Kennedy Agyapong avowed a lot of misinformation/disinformation to tarnish my image. As it is one sided perspective, I will tell my side of the story for the public to form an opinion from his thesis and my antithesis.

Facts:

1. Neither I nor my Regional Executives were informed that Kennedy and his team would be coming to the Northern region.

2. The claim that the NPP Regional Executives prevented Kennedy from meeting delegates is an outright lie by Kennedy and this is consistent with his known character, FABRICATIONS. Whereas the party is entitled to prevent any such campaign meetings by virtue of the directives issued by the General Secretary on behalf of NEC, no such request for a meeting was made by Kennedy and turned down by the party.

3. Throughout my life in this world, I have never visited Ken at his residence in respect of any contract nor payment for a contract or on any other issue. I do not know where his residence is located. I have never won a contract and sold same to one Ali. I have never met Kennedy in his residence to facilitate any payment for me. I believe his residence would have CCTV cameras and I would have been captured entering or leaving his residence. I challenge him to make such evidence public.

4. I strongly condemn his unprovoked attacks on the Vice President whose efforts and sacrifices contributed hugely to returning the NPP twice into office with its attendant benefits to Kennedy, myself and many party people across the country. If his likes would not honor the Vice President for his work for our party, they should not be attacking him unprovoked.

5. For a man seeking to lead a noble party like the NPP, Kennedy’s conduct and pronouncements must mirror what the NPP is noted for- respect, decorum, dignity and civility in speech.

6. No one will be prevented from campaigning. Competition helps the party to progress and as a liberalist I will encourage competition.

7. Accordingly, I am by this statement asking Kennedy Agyapong to withdraw his fabrications against my person and render an apology within two weeks. Failure or refusal to do as requested would lead me to my lawyers.

Long live NPP
Long live, Ghana
Mohammed A. Baantima Samba,
Northern Regional Chairman, NPP.

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