“Even you poor people want to speak your mind… Who born dog?” — Kennedy Agyapong clashes with Abronye
A heated verbal altercation between former Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe Abronye, nearly derailed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s national thank-you tour stop in the Bono Region on Monday.
The tour, intended to consolidate support and foster unity following the party’s flagbearer primaries, took an unexpected turn in Berekum as tensions between the two senior party figures boiled over in public view — exposing deepening internal divisions within the NPP.
Sparks Fly Over Unity and Discipline
Trouble began during Abronye’s welcome address, where he issued thinly veiled criticisms that Kennedy Agyapong perceived as personal attacks.
Abronye questioned the commitment of certain party members to unity, accusing some of previously making divisive public comments that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) exploited during the 2024 elections.
He backed his claims with findings from the post-election fact-finding committee led by Prof. Mike Ocquaye.
Matters escalated when Abronye openly opposed Agyapong’s proposal to grant amnesty to suspended or former NPP members.
According to him, such leniency would only embolden indiscipline and erode party principles.
He further accused reconciliation advocates of being partially responsible for the party’s electoral setbacks due to their public criticisms.
Agyapong Fires Back
When given the floor, Kennedy Agyapong did not hold back. Clearly angered, he declared he would not be cowed by anyone within the party.
He issued pointed criticisms of Abronye’s leadership, implying that those who contributed little financially should not dominate conversations about the party’s future.
“Some people talk as if they own the party, but they don’t,” Agyapong charged. “Even you poor people want to speak your mind, how much more rich men like us? Who born dog?” The remark sparked audible reactions from the crowd.
Agyapong further condemned Abronye’s stewardship, pointing out that the NPP’s parliamentary seats in the Bono Region had shrunk to just one — a sharp decline he blamed on ineffective regional leadership.
Abronye Responds
In response, Abronye defended his record, arguing that the region’s poor parliamentary representation stemmed from years of neglect by the central government.
Despite Bono’s overwhelming support for the NPP in the 2016 and 2020 elections, he said, the region was sidelined in key development efforts — particularly in road infrastructure — between 2017 and 2024.
