The (NDC) leadership in the Nkoranza North Constituency has condemned a video circulating on social media, describing it as a malicious attempt by members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to misrepresent the actions of former President John Mahama and disrupt the party's relationship with the local traditional authorities.
The video in question features some traditional chiefs from Dromankese, expressing their dissatisfaction over John Mahama's failure to visit the Chief's Palace during his recent tour.
The NDC claims that the video shows a sub-chief, who is reportedly aligned with Madam Jacqueline Boatemaa Bonsu, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, invoking curses against citizens of Dromankese who plan to vote for the NDC.
The video also contains commentary from another NPP member, which the NDC argues is evidence of malice and political manipulation.
In a statement dated September 3, 2024, and signed by Osei-Nyamekye Benign, the Communications Officer for the NDC in Nkoranza North, clarified that at no point did the party promise the community chief that John Mahama would visit the palace.
A delegation was sent ahead of Mahama's visit to inform the chief that the former president would not be visiting the palace due to his tight schedule, which has been a consistent approach during the campaign across the country.
The Dromankese situation, the statement noted, was no exception to this policy.
The NDC claims that the viral video misrepresents the agreement made with the Dromankese traditional authorities.
The NDC emphasized that their checks revealed that the Odikro (sub-chief) of Dromankese did not authorize or endorse the curses depicted in the video, and was fully aware of the planned details of Mahama's visit.
The NDC highlighted that during the 2020 election campaign, John Mahama had visited Nana Dromankesse Hene and his elders and spent nearly 45 minutes in the Chief's Palace, which demonstrates the respect and goodwill between the party and the traditional authorities.
The party urged all its supporters, especially those in Dromankese and Nkoranza North, to remain calm as they work to engage with the traditional leaders to resolve any misunderstandings. "We do not support any disrespect towards Nananom (the traditional authorities), and we respect tradition and culture," the statement read. "We are committed to maintaining a peaceful relationship with our traditional leaders and cooperating with them for the development of Ghana." The NDC strongly condemned the actions they see as politically motivated attempts to damage the relationship between the party and the traditional authorities. "Such actions are condemnable and should not be entertained by well-meaning Ghanaians," the statement concluded.