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Former deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen, has jumped to the defense of Hopeson Adorye following backlash received from recent comments he made against Northerners.

In an interview granted to Accra-based Metro TV on August 15, he said the unqualified apology rendered by the pro-Alan Kyerematen should put the matter to rest.

He added that it will not make sense for him to join calls for the dismissal of Adorye even though he subscribes to the Bawumia camp.

He premised his argument on the claim that even angels make mistakes.

“Hopeson is a human being. A human being has made unpalatable or distasteful comment and the person says I’m rendering an unqualified apology. What else? The man is a member of the New Patriotic Party. He has rendered an unqualified apology to all and sundry. What next? Are people calling for the dismissal of Hopeson from the party? I am a full-fledged Bawumia man. I am very careful and cautious of my comment.

“Hopeson is rooting for Alan. There’s nothing wrong about that. We all belong to one family. The man has rendered an apology. Do you think it will be fair for me to say that let’s dismiss him? There will be no sense for me to do that. We are all human beings. Even angels…I am not blaspheming…but angels in the celestial world, sometimes they make mistakes else you won’t have the incidence of Lucifer challenging Gabriel and Michael,” Obiri Boahen said.

Obiri Boahen also said Hopeson Adorye may have made the comment as a result of being carried by the euphoria surrounding the health walk.

According to him, it was characteristic of most people to make misguided statements due to euphoria.

“The man says I am sorry for whatever I said. Perhaps, He’s a human being [and] he was carried away by the euphoria. It is a common phenomenon with human beings. When you are carried by the euphoria, sometimes you make certain unguided statements. Whoever is listening to me should tell me that he has never in his life ever made unguided statements within a certain given situation. Whoever…let the person cast the first stone,” Obiri Boahen said.

“People are making a whole lot of noise out of this. NPP has a common enemy. The common enemy is NDC,” he added.

What Hopeson Adorye said

Hopeson Adorye at a walk christened “walk for Alan” in Kumasi sought to rally support for the candidature of Alan Kyerematen for the NPP flagbearership race.

He commented on the tradition of the party and sought to use it to justify why it is now the turn of the Trade and Industry Minister to lead NPP.

“There is one thing I am going to say. The NPP has a tradition. Our tradition is Busia, Danquah and Dombo. Danquah represents Eastern Region and the bottom (south), Busia represents Ashanti Region and the Bono areas, while Dombo represents Northern Region,” said Hopeson Adorye.

“Whenever a Danquah leads the party, the Busia side steps aside but there is a Dombo (for a running mate), and whenever a Busia lead, the Danquah side steps aside but there is a Dombo (for a running mate). As for the Dombos, they are always there (for a running mate).”

“In 1992, Albert Adu Boahen, who represented Danquah contested with a Dombo. In 1996, we had the Great Alliance bit in 2000, it came to Kufuor, who is a Busia, and he ran with a Dombo (as his running mate). Then after Kufuor, it moved back to Danquah, with President Akufo-Addo. He also contested the election with another Dombo (as his running mate), who is Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.

“If it went to Danquah, came to Busia, went back to Danquah, where should it go now, is it not Busia?” Hopeson Adorye asked.

Meanwhile, the NPP is expected to elect a flagbearer for the 2024 elections next year.

Prominent names that have popped up include Alan Kyerematen, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyapong.