Simpa Polling Station Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency of the Western Region, Henry Baker, has spoken candidly in an interview with Adwenpa FM, addressing the controversial registration exercise currently rocking the area.
Baker not only confirmed the existence of the secret registration but also clarified the internal disagreements that surrounded the process, sparking tension in the area and leaving the party in turmoil.
According to Baker, the idea for the registration came after the party’s painful defeat in the 2024 parliamentary election, which saw the then MP George Mireku Duker lose his seat. “After the defeat, we decided to do an honest assessment of what went wrong,” Baker said. “We realised there was apathy. Our own people didn’t come out in their numbers. There are over 500,000 registered voters, but the turnout was poor. That played a big role in our loss.”
He acknowledged that despite losing the election, Duker took a step in the right direction by embarking on a thank-you tour. “It was wise of Duker to show appreciation to the people. You don’t have to win before you say thank you. The gesture was necessary,” he added.
The registration initiative, reportedly spearheaded by Constituency Secretary Fuseini, aimed to update the party’s internal database in the Simpa electoral area and to inform strategy heading into the 2028 elections. Baker confirmed the motive behind the registration, saying, “We wanted to know who our people are now. So the plan was to register all NPP members in Simpa.”
However, controversy arose over the inclusivity of the process. While Baker admitted that Rashid had directed them to register everyone, he revealed that the grassroots team had second thoughts. “Rashid asked us to register everybody, but deep down we knew that might not be the best strategy.” So we approached it differently,” he said, without disclosing exactly how the approach changed.
His comments come at a time when MyNewsGh has reported growing tension within the NPP in Tarkwa-Nsuaem. The outlet revealed that the registration exercise had sidelined supporters believed to be loyal to Fiifi Boafo, a former COCOBOD Corporate Affairs Manager, rumoured to be preparing to contest the seat in 2028. Several members, whose names were excluded from the register, openly protested, with confrontations nearly turning physical.
In a surprising twist, Joseph Abban Mensah, a former NDC propaganda secretary now serving as an aide to George Mireku Duker, defended the exercise. Speaking on Space FM, he described it as a “normal process in the NPP” and said it should be embraced for selecting delegates.
Yet, the legitimacy of the exercise remains under scrutiny. The constituency chairman, Benjamin Assabill, has denied authorising any registration of polling station members. Other constituency executives have also distanced themselves from the activity, further deepening suspicions that it may be a covert operation to strengthen Duker’s political base.
Meanwhile, the Tarkwa-Nsueam Municipal Assembly Presiding Member and NPP constituency polling station coordinator, Joseph Kwofie, has confirmed at a meeting with party members at Tarkwa Nandi that the exercise was commissioned by the constituency Chairman and the Secretary, insisting they cannot absolve themselves of the raging tension
