“My commitment to the party remains unwavering and my dedication to the ideals of unity, inclusivity and progress remains resolute,” he stated.

Reaction

Mr Asante-Boateng was speaking in an interview in reaction to comments that people of northern extraction were not entitled to leadership or positions of authority within the party.

He was also reported to have said that the party’s presidential aspirant, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, was a slave and unfit to lead the party.

The party's national secretariat and the Ashanti Regional Parliamentary Caucus issued separate statements describing the comments as unfortunate.

It said those comments ran contrary to the spirit of unity, respect and equality that the NPP stood for. 

Structures

Aside from denying those statements, Mr Asante-Boateng pledged to work with the leadership, membership and grassroots structures of the party.

He has, therefore, urged the rank and file of the party to disregard the mischievous narrative being circulated by elements seeking to create disaffection and internal discord.

Clarifying his comments, Mr Asante-Boateng said he indicated during the said interview that at the time of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's nomination as the running mate to President Akufo Addo, he was relatively new to the party's internal structures, a "stranger" only in the context of his limited prior involvement in NPP's grassroots operations.

“My point was that, despite this, the party honoured him with a position of immense trust and responsibility, even though several long-serving and dedicated members also possessed the requisite competence and experience for the role,” he stated.

“My statement was contextual, focused on the circumstances surrounding his nomination, not on his person or ethnicity,” he stressed.

Distinguish northerners

Mr Asante-Boateng explained that at the time of Dr Bawumia’s selection, the party had many distinguished northerners who had served with dedication and distinction.

Some of them, he said, were Ambrose Dery, Malik Alhassan Yakubu, Hajia Alima Mahama, Alhaji Mustapha Iddris Ali, Prof. Kassim Kasanga, Ben Salifu, Prince Imoru Andani, Mohamed Salifu, Mogtari Sahanun, Boniface Abubakar Sadique, Boniface Agambila, M. N. D. Jawula, among others.

“These patriots had shown their unwavering support for the NPP's values and had earned respect through years of loyalty and sacrifice,” he pointed out.

Attack

Mr Asante-Boateng said it was, therefore, disingenuous and unfortunate for anyone to suggest that his comments were an attack on northerners or an attempt to sow division within the party.

“On the contrary, my submission sought to highlight the importance of loyalty, consistency and meritocracy as guiding principles in the party's decision-making processes,” he stated.