Carlos Ahenkorah left to stand alone as NPP leaders ‘run away’ from ballot snatching saga

In football or sporting terms, the actions of Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah will be termed as ‘taking one for the team’.

This phrase is used when a player sacrifices an injury, card or anything to save his team when they are in a difficult situation during a match.

In fact, in his justification of the ‘shameful and abominable’ incident, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah said that he snatched the ballot sheets to protect the interest of the NPP and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said in a statement that he suffered the shame and beatings from Mubarak Muntaka for the NPP and its grassroots.

“I did it for the grassroots who relied on us in power to survive, the president who needs some peace to run the country and the greater NPP party as a whole because we cannot always allow the NDC to threaten and vilify us,” said.

According to him, “the NPP in me couldn’t be controlled. I apologise but I tried.”

While Carlos Ahenkorah may feel valiant for his actions, the party which he claims to have risked everything have other views, at least in the public space.

He has been left alone to feel the brunt of his actions which has been condemned by the NDC and some CSOs.

John Boadu, the General Secretary of the NDC said on Okay FM that the incident is not something that should be encouraged.

Shutting down Ahenkorah’s opinion that he did not show leadership on the night, John Boadu said no one should entertain the idea of snatching ballots.

“When he was about snatching the ballot paper, ask him what the Majority Leader told him. What happened isn’t something we should entertain. We should stop talking about it,” he said.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who was seen in a viral video having a conversation with Ahenkorah moments before the snatching incident has also come out to declare his innocence.

"I asked Hon. Carlos Ahenkorah to stay away from me and be saying those things so I’m surprised for anybody to think that am the one who goaded him to engage in what he did. It is only a sick mind who will think like that," he noted.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the deputy leader of the NPP MPs has corroborated Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s claim and said that leadership will meet over the issue.

“From where I stood in Parliament on that day, I could not have seen anything like that. In any event, it would be wrong for anyone to attempt accusing Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu of any form of involvement and that is sanctioning anyone’s conduct. He is a member of our party, a member of our caucus, and I am sure leadership will have an engagement with him and when we meet in the chamber, what ought to be said will be said,” he said on Citi TV.