BY Issah Olegor
A fresh wave of internal controversy has hit the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as Banahene Bediako, former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sekyere Central in the Ashanti Region, has accused Irene Naa Torshie Addo of threatening to withhold support for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia unless she was promised a top leadership position in a future NPP government.
The allegation, made during an exclusive interview with journalist Akua-Piesie Asare Bediako, suggests that the former Tema West MP and immediate past Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) issued an ultimatum to former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) during a private meeting held three months ago.
According to the former DCE, Banahene, Naa Torshie told the group that she would only commit to campaigning for Bawumia if she was selected as either his running mate or considered for the role of Speaker of Parliament in the event the NPP retained power.
He claims she further disclosed that she was already in “conversations and agreements” with Dr Mahamudu Bawumia regarding her political future, but would not support his bid for the presidency if the outcome did not align with her ambitions.
“Naa Torshie told us plainly that unless Dr. Bawumia makes her his running mate or Speaker, she will not campaign for him. She said she has had conversations with him, and if it doesn’t favour her, she cannot support the campaign,” Banahene stated.
Longstanding Ambitions
Irene Naa Torshie’s political aspirations have been a subject of discussion within NPP circles since 2023.
After the 2023 primaries, she was widely reported to have lobbied intensely to become the running mate to Dr. Bawumia, who had just secured the party’s presidential nomination.
Her efforts, however, were unsuccessful as Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) was eventually chosen.
This decision reportedly created deep personal resentment, which later manifested in her alignment with Kennedy Agyapong’s faction ahead of the 2026 presidential primaries.
Her public attacks on Dr Bawumia in recent months—ranging from criticisms of his leadership to controversial remarks about religion and tribal identity—are seen by analysts as part of a broader political fallout stemming from her unfulfilled ambitions.
