Angry Gonja chiefs demand retraction of NPP endorsement ‘lies’

Some chiefs in the Gonjaland including the Overlord of the Gonja Traditional Council, Yabgonwura Tutumba Bore Essah I have denied endorsing leader of the main opposition party Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, at their palaces during his campaign visit.

Nana Addo and his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as part of a five-day campaign tour of the Northern region extended courtesy calls on prominent chiefs on whose traditional area he visited.

The flagbearer on the last leg of the tour of the region went to the palaces of some chiefs in the Gonja traditional area including the Chief of Yapei, Yapeiwura Soale Alhassan and the Jakpa Palace which houses Overlord of Gonja kingdom.

At the respective palaces, the chiefs were widely reported to have endorsed Nana Addo to occupy the presidency.

The Yagbonwura was alleged to have told Nana Addo “We have heard what you are saying to us. We will back you with prayers. The presidency is yours,”.

The report also suggested that Chief of Yapei described President Mahama as a bad kinsman for failing to provide them good drinking water.

But, the Chiefs have slammed the report describing it as “machinations and lies”.

The angry chiefs said the deliberate misrepresentation of their pronouncements is “unfortunate and must be withdrawn. I the Yapeiwura, wish to state emphatically and to place on record that, I did not make such a statement when the flagbearer of the NPP visited my palace. I wish to state here that I am very much aware chiefs by law are not supposed to declare open support for or mount any political platform. I therefore find it most unfortunate that these statements are attributed to no less a person than I, the Yapeiwura”, Chief of Yapei said in an issued disclaimer.

Registrar of the Gonja Traditional Area, Mr. Kapori also speaking to Ultimate News’ said Yagbonwura Tutumba Bore Essah did not endorsed the opposition leader.

Mr. Kapori said the Yagbonwura as an agent for development only shared problems facing his jurisdiction to Nana Addo reminding him not to turn his back against his people if voted to power.

“Yagbonwura under no circumstances in his palace endorsed anybody that the person is becoming the leader of Ghana,” the disclaimer said.

The Chiefs are therefore demanding a recant and apology from the NPP or risk being prevented from holding their activities at the Palaces.

Meanwhile, NPP has said there was nothing to apologise for, maintaining that the chiefs overtly endorsed the bid of its presidential candidate.

The Northern regional deputy secretary Haruna Iddrisu indicated “if you’re hoping that Nana Addo is giving the flagstaff house and that they have a president coming from the Gonjaland but they don’t have a public place of convenience ,they don’t have drinking water, they don’t have a secondary school, that we termed as an endorsement, they are our chiefs if we have done something wrong we will apologize but I’m yet to know what we have done wrong,” Haruna added.