Further allegations surfaced that Naa Torshie withheld fertilizer supplies meant for farmers — a move some party members initially blamed on former Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.
Factional tensions within the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have flared up again following former Tema West MP and ex-Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Irene Naa Torshie Addo’s decision to shift her political allegiance from Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to presidential hopeful Kennedy Agyapong.
Her realignment — seen by many as a strategic recalibration after being passed over for the 2024 vice-presidential slot — has drawn sharp criticism from within the party, effectively dimming prospects of a future vice-presidential bid in 2028.
Former NPP Communications Director, Yaw Adomako Baafi, publicly criticised Naa Torshie during an appearance on Movement TV, accusing her of poor interpersonal relations and undermining party unity. “She is not fit for purpose,” Baafi declared, alleging that Naa Torshie’s strained relationship with MPs and key party operatives weakened coordination during her tenure.
Naa Torshie’s fallout with the Bawumia camp reportedly followed frustrations over her exclusion from the 2024 ticket, which eventually paired the Vice-President with then-Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. Insiders suggest her switch to Agyapong’s team may have been influenced by promises of future political elevation — though scepticism abounds within the party’s inner circles.
The controversy has also revived scrutiny of her stewardship at the Common Fund. Critics, including Baafi, allege that under her administration, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) suffered severe funding shortfalls, hindering local development. Some comparisons have been drawn to the previous NDC government, which reportedly boosted district-level allocations.
Further allegations surfaced that Naa Torshie withheld fertilizer supplies meant for farmers — a move some party members initially blamed on former Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong. Baafi claimed that Naa Torshie wielded undue influence over resource distribution, suggesting that her actions extended beyond her official mandate.
Relations between Naa Torshie and other senior NPP figures, notably former Local Government Minister Dan Botwe, were also said to be tense. Baafi accused her of frustrating fund releases, resulting in what he described as the financial marginalisation of MPs and DCEs under the Akufo-Addo administration.
The escalating row, political analysts say, underscores deeper divisions within the NPP as it navigates post-Akufo-Addo realignments ahead of the 2028 general elections. Baafi warned that unless the party confronts internal exclusion and patronage politics, it risks repeating past mistakes.
While Irene Naa Torshie Addo has yet to publicly respond to the allegations, her political future within the party appears uncertain amid growing factional fault lines and leadership rivalries shaping the NPP’s next chapter.
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