We have been tolerant but now we will whip dissident party members – Nana Akomea

NPP Communications Director Nana Akomea says instilling party discipline is crucial in stubbing out incidents of violence that has claimed the life of a party supporter Abubakar Saddiq.

He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday, sections of supporters believe the party’s posture towards instilling discipline has been “lax and tolerant”.

The Ashanti regional NPP has suspended four constituency chairmen while the Police in the Ashanti region have arrested six suspects including the Asawase Deputy Women’s Organizer of the NPP.

Abubakar Saddiq, a pro-Nana Akufo-Addo supporter was stabbed in broad day light last Friday. It is the second fatality in the party in nine months.

A struggle for political control of the party among the NPP national executives has caused the party bad press and a battered image.

In a move seen to inject stability and peace in the party, the National Executives suspended the National Chairman, Paul Afoko.

He has been accused of being a disruptive force in the party’s ambition to get the 2016 flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo elected President.

But the move is yet to cure disagreements after some supporters and constituency executives were bused to Accra to protest the decision.

Two days after the protest, Abubakar Saddiq was found dead.

Nana Akomea believes party decisions are being challenged without recourse to laid down procedures for channeling grievances, noting this amounts to indiscipline.

He explained that the chairmen were suspended because they have been accused of failing to publicly defend party decisions. Their actions have also brought the party into disrepute, he explained.

According to him , the unruly behaviour of some supporters in publicly protesting party decisions must be checked.

“If we are to apply our disciplinary proceedings strictly, people will fall in line quickly”

Nana Akomea expressed regret that internal party wranglings have cost the life of a party supporter.

“It’s a low point in the party”, he admitted while expressing the party’s cooperation with police investigations into the death of Abubakar Saddiq.