NDC race: Chiana Paga MP’s campaign team attacked

The campaign team of the Member of Parliament for the Chiana Paga Constituency, Rodolf Nsorwinn Amenga-etogo, was on Thursday, 22 August 2019 attacked by some unknown persons while returning from Chiana in the Upper East Region.

Confirming the incident to Class News’ Upper East regional correspondent Derrick Abakisi, a member of the lawmaker’s team, Hajj Seidu Sulemana, said the MP escaped unhurt but the assailants made away with a motorbike and a mobile phone belonging to a nephew of the MP. They also robbed him of some money.

There has been tension within the opposition National Democratic Congress in the constituency between the camp of the incumbent MP and one Nikyema Billa Alamzy, a contender in the party’s upcoming primaries.

On Saturday, 17 August 2019, there were some disturbances between the two sides as sympathisers of both sides in Kandiga and Paga-Sakaa prevented Mr Alamzy and the MP, respectively, from engaging delegates during their campaign tours of those areas.

Sources said the Kandiga sympathisers of the incumbent MP prevented members of Mr Alamzy’s team, majority of whom came from the Sirigu area, from addressing party delegates who had gathered there to meet him as part of his campaign tour.

According to sources, the youth disrupted the campaign of Mr Alamzy on accusations that his team members from Sirigu meted out similar treatment to them when they recently toured the area with the MP.

The fracas stalled the campaign of Mr Alamzy at Kandiga as he refused to speak to the gathering.

Displeased by the actions of their fellow party members toward Mr Alamzy, his supporters massed up at Paga-Sakaa, which is believed to be Mr Alamzy’s stronghold while the MP was engaging some delegates and had their revenge by stopping him from campaigning.

The Chiana-Paga constituency chairman of the NDC, Mr James Kojo Kopanamo, later condemned the actions of the youth and called on the aspirants to rein in their supporters.