The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is urging the Manhyia Palace to distance itself from attempts by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to involve it in partisan politics.
Mustapha Gbande warns that failing to do so could risk losing the affection of Ghanaians.
According to him, Manhyia has been revered by Ghanaians for centuries due to its neutral stance in politics.
However, with the nomination of one of its royals, Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, as running mate to the NPP’s flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, he argues that the NPP is subtly trying to drag the respected Palace into partisan politics.
He warns that if this continues, it could tarnish the Palace's reputation.
Gbande states, “It’s important that although Mathew Opoku hails from the palace, the issue at hand is politics, not chieftaincy or royalty. My concern is that if Manhyia does not disassociate its name and image from the NPP’s plan to politicize it and use it to influence voting, people will begin to doubt its credibility. Eventually, Manhyia will lose the support, respect, and love it has earned from Ghanaians.”
He added, “We cannot allow our politics to revolve around the Manhyia Palace and the rest of Ghana. Not every Ashanti is in the NPP, and not every NPP member in the Ashanti region supports how the current government has used the party for the wrong reasons."
Gbande emphasizes that the NPP must be held accountable for the poor management of the economy, not Manhyia. “Today, do we blame the worsening economy and the suffering of Ghanaians on the Manhyia Palace and the Ashantis? No, because it is individuals from the NPP who are running the country. Let us hold the NPP responsible and keep Manhyia out of politics.”
He concluded, “If we don’t do this, Manhyia will begin to lose the love and respect of its members because people in the Ashanti region are unhappy with how Akufo Addo has managed the country and the NPP executives in government.”
Despite these concerns, Mr Gbande remains hopeful that Otumfoure Osei Tutu II will act to protect the neutrality of Manhyia.
"I believe that Otumfuo will be mindful of the public concerns regarding this issue,” he said.
Reacting to the substance of NAPO’s nomination, Mr Gbande insists Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh does not add anything significant to the NPP ticket, which he believes is already not a winning ticket.
Credit: Carlos A. Calony