By: Hamza Lansah Lolly/Baba Mohammed Issahaq
Former Tamale Mayor and leading NPP member, Musah Superior, has lashed out at the New Patriotic Party’s leadership for what he describes as a “strategic blunder” in disbanding the party’s vigilante groups in 2019.
In a statement shared on social media, Mr Musah Superior lamented the party’s compliance with then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s call for both the NPP and NDC to dissolve their affiliated militia groups. While the NPP heeded the call, the NDC did not, he claimed leaving the NPP exposed and disadvantaged on the ground.
“In 2019, NADAA, during a SONA address, ‘begged’ NPP and NDC to voluntarily disband their militia groups. NDC didn’t but NPP did,” he wrote. “Now, we know that NADAA was wrong to have initiated such a conversation; and the then leadership of the NPP weren’t smart enough to ignore his request.”
The former CEO of the Forestry Commission warned that the party is now paying the price for what he called “naivety.” He stressed that unless swift steps are taken to reorganise local-level security and ground support, the NPP risks defeat in key electoral contests, especially the looming Akwatia by-election.
“Today, we are witnessing the consequences of our naivety. Our guys must regroup without delay,” he cautioned. “Let’s forget Akwatia if we go there unprepared.”
Mr Musah Superior’s remarks follow recent violent incidents during the parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency, where Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NPP and Madam Hawa Koomson were reportedly attacked by unknown thugs. The clashes have raised concerns over the continued existence of shadowy political enforcer groups, despite the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act in 2019.
While the law was passed with bipartisan support, enforcement has been inconsistent, with critics accusing both major parties of selectively applying it or quietly maintaining underground operatives.
As tensions rise ahead of upcoming by-elections in Akwatia, Mr Musah Superior’s comments have added a new layer to the internal debate within the NPP on security, political strategy, and leadership accountability.
