The overbearing influence of Irene Naa Torshie Addo has taken centre stage in the Kennedy Agyapong flagbearership campaign as attention is shifted to
The overbearing influence of Irene Naa Torshie Addo has taken centre stage in the Kennedy Agyapong flagbearership campaign as attention is shifted to her, following her caustic attack on former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
With her foray into the campaign, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Greater Accra Region has been plunged into an intense internal confrontation as conflicting statements from senior regional figures have triggered a political storm surrounding the former Tema West MP and influential party financier, Naa Torshie Addo.
Naa Torshie who is campaigning strongly for Kennedy Agyapong with the hope of becoming his running mate has placed herself at the centre of the campaign with all attention focusing on her.
What began as a singular attack from Regional Chairman Divine Otoo Agorhom has now escalated into a full-blown crossfire, with the Regional Secretariat openly distancing itself from the Chairman’s claims and issuing a counter-statement defending Naa Torshie’s legacy, motives, and political choices.
Naa Torshie Is Undermining The Party
The firestorm began when Greater Accra NPP Chairman, Divine Otoo Agorhom, issued a statement accusing Naa Torshie of indulging in divisive politics and undermining party cohesion in the region.
According to him, Naa Torshie had allegedly claimed that the party performed poorly in Greater Accra during the 2024 elections because Dr. Bawumia, the flagbearer selected a running mate from the Ashanti Region.
The Chairman further hinted that her recent alignment with Kennedy Agyapong’s camp was part of a larger agenda driven by bitterness over not being selected as Dr. Bawumia’s running mate in 2024.
He suggested that her conduct had become openly antagonistic towards Bawumia, whom she previously supported while serving as Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) under President Akufo-Addo.
To bolster his claim, the Chairman circulated what he described as a GHOne TV social media post quoting Naa Torshie—an image that, according to later statements, would become a source of dispute.
Chairman Agorhom insisted his intervention was necessary to “protect the integrity of the party” ahead of the presidential primaries in January 2026.
Chairman Acted Alone
In a dramatic rebuttal, the Greater Accra Regional Secretariat categorically denied authorizing the Chairman’s statement.
According to Regional Secretary, Daniel Parker Odarlai France, no meeting of any party structure—including the Regional Executive Committee, Council of Patrons, Elders, or Communications Committee—ever deliberated on or approved any communication about Naa Torshie.
The Secretariat stated firmly that the Chairman acted alone and misrepresented his personal views as the official position of the region.
They further accused the Chairman of fabricating the GHOne TV post he used to indict Naa Torshie, calling it “false, misleading, and malicious.”
According to the leadership, intensive monitoring of her public engagements across constituencies showed that she never blamed Greater Accra’s 2024 performance on an Ashanti running mate nor made any such inflammatory comment.
While Naa Torshie has not issued a formal public statement, her position—reflected through her long-standing actions, engagements, and interactions with party supporters—paints a different picture.
Those close to her point out that:
She openly endorsed Dr. Bawumia in 2024 after he was elected flagbearer.
She lobbied legitimately for the running mate position, a move widely accepted in party politics.
Her disappointment when NAPO was selected was not unusual for a competitive race.
Her later alignment with Kennedy Agyapong was a democratic choice, influenced partly by prophecies suggesting she could be Kennedy’s running mate if he won in 2026 primary.
Her support for Kennedy should not be interpreted as an “attack” on Bawumia.
Her supporters argue that she has never publicly insulted or undermined the former Vice President and that the Chairman’s allegations were rooted in “personal discomfort” with her change of allegiance.
They describe her as a loyal party contributor who has worked across factions and has no history of attacking national leaders.
Background
To fully understand the tension, both her supporters and the Secretariat highlight a comprehensive record of her contributions to the Greater Accra NPP:
Largest financier of regional party activities among government appointees
Sole sponsor of numerous training workshops, communications programs, and mobilization drives
Significant logistical and financial support to the Regional Organizer, Women’s Wing, Youth Wing, Nasara, and TESCON
Direct support to parliamentary candidates during both the 2020 and 2024 elections
Sole financier of the ongoing ultra-modern Greater Accra Regional Party Office, the biggest infrastructure donation in the region’s political history.
Losing The Running Mate Slot
Some within the Chairman’s camp maintain that Naa Torshie’s posture shifted noticeably after she was not chosen as Bawumia’s running mate.
They argue that her pivot to the Kennedy Agyapong faction felt more like revenge than democratic choice, pointing to her increasing silence on Bawumia’s national agenda.
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