BY Issah Olegor
The deepening internal crisis within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Awutu Senya East Constituency appears to have taken a dramatic new turn, with a section of electoral area women organisers and grassroots supporters openly throwing their weight behind Constituency Chairman Stephen Ofosu Agyare, despite growing calls from another faction demanding his suspension over a controversial leaked audio recording.
The latest development underscores the widening divisions within one of the governing party’s most politically significant constituencies, where a bitter power struggle between supporters of the constituency chairman and Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, has increasingly played out in the public domain.
On Monday, dozens of women electoral area organisers, branch executives and grassroots supporters gathered at the residence of Chairman Stephen Ofosu Agyare in what they described as a solidarity visit aimed at encouraging him to remain focused on rebuilding unity within the constituency despite the ongoing controversy.
The supporters insisted that the chairman remains the right person to lead reconciliation efforts and restore calm within the constituency after months of internal wrangling that has fractured the local party structure.
According to members of the delegation, the visit was intended to reassure Chairman Ofosu Agyare that many grassroots members still have confidence in his leadership and believe he remains instrumental in strengthening the party ahead of future political activities.
The show of solidarity comes barely days after another faction within the constituency, made up largely of some women executives and supporters of the Member of Parliament, publicly demanded the immediate suspension of the chairman over comments allegedly contained in a leaked audio recording that has since gone viral on social media.
In the controversial recording, Chairman Ofosu Agyare is alleged to have made remarks suggesting he previously had an intimate relationship with the Member of Parliament Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor before she became the party’s parliamentary candidate.
The alleged comments have generated widespread public debate and attracted criticism from sections of the NDC, particularly women activists who described the remarks as inappropriate and damaging to the dignity of women in politics.
One woman, believed to be a branch executive, appealed directly to First Lady Lordina Mahama and the national leadership of the NDC to intervene by suspending the chairman pending investigations.
According to her, regardless of whether the allegations contained in the audio are true, it was unacceptable for a senior constituency leader to publicly discuss matters relating to the private life of a female Member of Parliament.
“This issue is all over social media. Even if it is true, should an adult like him be doing this to a woman? We take care of the home; we are the pillar of society. By doing this to a woman, you have brought the reputation of all women into disrepute,” she stated.
The controversy has further exposed long-standing divisions within the constituency that many party insiders say began during the build-up to the 2020 parliamentary elections.
According to accounts circulating within the constituency, Chairman Ofosu Agyare played a significant role in supporting Naa Koryoo’s parliamentary ambition when she first sought to become the NDC parliamentary candidate.
Reports attributed to an NDC executive believed to be serving as spokesperson for the MP claim the relationship between the two deteriorated after the chairman allegedly expressed his desire to marry Naa Koryoo as a second wife.
According to the spokesperson, the chairman believed his political support entitled him to a marital relationship after helping her secure the parliamentary candidature.
The spokesperson alleged that the MP declined the proposal, insisting she had understood the chairman’s support to be purely political rather than personal.
Those claims have not been independently verified, and neither Chairman Ofosu Agyare nor the Member of Parliament has publicly confirmed that account.
The dispute is also said to have intensified following the NDC’s victory in the 2024 general elections, with disagreements emerging over constituency appointments, political influence and control of local party affairs.
Supporters of the chairman have also accused the MP of sidelining him after assuming office.
One of the issues that has generated heated discussion among party members is the allocation of Ghana’s FIFA World Cup tickets.
According to some executives aligned with Chairman Ofosu Agyare, the only World Cup ticket allocated to the constituency chairman was instead given to the MP’s husband, a development they believe symbolises the deteriorating relationship between both camps.
The matter has dominated internal WhatsApp platforms and constituency discussions, further widening divisions within the local party.
Despite mounting pressure from sections of the party calling for disciplinary action against the chairman, Monday’s solidarity visit suggests that Chairman Ofosu Agyare continues to enjoy substantial grassroots support within Awutu Senya East.
Supporters who gathered at his residence maintained that internal reconciliation, rather than suspensions and public confrontations, remains the best path toward restoring unity within the constituency.
The unfolding developments have drawn comparisons with previous disciplinary actions taken by the NDC against some of its parliamentary candidates over allegations of misconduct.
Before the 2024 general elections, the party’s Central Regional Functional Executive Committee withdrew the parliamentary candidature of Assin Central’s Nurein Shaibu Migyimah following allegations of immoral conduct, anti-party activities and other complaints that were subsequently investigated by the party before he was reinstated.
Political observers believe the Awutu Senya East controversy now presents another major test for the NDC leadership as it seeks to balance internal discipline with efforts to preserve party unity.
At the time of filing this report, attempts to reach the Member of Parliament, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, for her response were unsuccessful, as her mobile phone remained switched off.
Meanwhile, party supporters continue to await an official intervention from the national leadership as the constituency remains sharply divided between supporters of the MP and loyalists of Chairman Stephen Ofosu Agyare, with both sides insisting they are acting in the best interest of the governing party.
