Tension is escalating within the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akyem Oda Constituency following the tragic death of Maxwell Kofi Anti, a personal aide to the Akyem Oda Member of Parliament, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, in a fatal road accident allegedly linked to deepening disputes surrounding the party’s ongoing polling station executive elections.
The incident has thrown the constituency into mourning and controversy, with angry party supporters demanding a full-scale investigation into both the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash and alleged irregularities in the internal electoral process.
Maxwell Kofi Anti reportedly lost his life on Saturday, May 16, after a vehicle carrying him and two other party members was involved in an accident along the Oda–Oda Nkwanta stretch in the Eastern Region.
Sources within the constituency disclosed that the three individuals were travelling under urgent circumstances to deliver a letter of injunction intended to halt the polling station executive elections at Oda Nkwanta amid disagreements over the conduct of the process.
The deceased is said to have sustained severe injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to a nearby health facility.
The two other occupants reportedly survived with varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.
The tragedy has sparked outrage among sections of party supporters, many of whom accuse the Regional Steering Committee and some constituency executives of negligence, indecisiveness, and poor handling of concerns raised over the internal elections.
According to aggrieved members, repeated petitions and warnings regarding alleged irregularities in the electoral process were ignored, compelling Kofi Anti and his colleagues to embark on the emergency intervention that ultimately ended in tragedy.
Following the incident, some party members are demanding the immediate suspension of all polling station executive elections in the affected electoral areas pending independent investigations into the issues raised.
The supporters are also calling for accountability from both regional and constituency leadership over the circumstances that allegedly necessitated the emergency trip undertaken by the deceased and his colleagues.
Among the key demands being raised are calls for an independent investigation into the compilation of polling station albums and registers, verification of alleged irregular signatures and endorsements, scrutiny into the distribution of registration books, and investigations into claims of deliberate exclusion and disenfranchisement of some party members.
The aggrieved members insist that failure to decisively address the concerns could undermine the integrity of the party’s internal democratic processes and deepen divisions within the constituency.
In emotionally charged reactions following Kofi Anti’s death, some party faithful blamed what they described as a leadership structure driven by “personal interest” and “indecisiveness” for the unfortunate development.
The anger reportedly intensified on Sunday, May 17, when the MP, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, led a delegation to commiserate with the deceased’s mother and wife.
According to eyewitness accounts, some visibly emotional party supporters allegedly challenged and attempted to drive away regional executives and certain constituency executives from the bereaved family’s residence.
They accused the regional leadership of remaining silent while the constituency chairman, Kwadwo Ampaabeng, and a few executive members allegedly defied instructions not to proceed with the elections in the Nkwanta electoral area.
Meanwhile, the national leadership of NPP has issued a directive signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong reminding constituency executives and election committee members to strictly adhere to the party’s laid-down electoral guidelines during the polling station elections.
Supporters claim the directive appears to address many of the same concerns they had raised before the fatal accident occurred, instigating many to place blame on the party leadership for allowing the situation to escalate.
Party faithful fear the incident could further deepen cracks within the NPP in Akyem Oda at a time when party unity and grassroots mobilisation are considered crucial ahead of future national elections.
Some members also claim that the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the Regional Steering Committee has created similar tensions in various constituencies across the region, warning that the consequences could breed apathy among grassroots supporters ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Meanwhile, the body of Maxwell Kofi Anti has been deposited at a morgue pending autopsy and funeral arrangements.
By 1960news.com
