BY Daniel Bampoe
A fresh confrontation has erupted within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following a series of controversial remarks attributed to Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, with the party’s Ashanti Regional Nasara Wing accusing the preacher of making allegations capable of deepening religious and tribal divisions.
The latest development follows a public warning by the Head Pastor of Glorious Word and Power Ministry directed at NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Owusu Bempah reportedly warned the former Vice President to restrain his supporters from attacking or insulting him, threatening to take what he described as serious action against Dr. Bawumia if the alleged attacks continued.
“I am giving Dr. Bawumia a warning that if he doesn’t stop his followers from attacking or insulting me, this time around, I will deal with him seriously,” the preacher was reported to have said.
The remarks have subsequently triggered a strong reaction from elements within the NPP, particularly the Ashanti Regional Nasara Wing, which has rejected claims that leading members of the party were planning to use members of the group to attack Owusu Bempah or his church.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 7, 2026, the Ashanti Regional Nasara Wing described the allegation as false, distasteful and damaging to the image of the group. The wing said its mandate is fundamentally centred on mobilising support and promoting the political inclusion of settler and migrant communities across Ghana, irrespective of their tribal or religious affiliations.
The Nasara Wing argued that portraying it as an organisation that could be mobilised to attack a church or religious leader misrepresents its purpose and threatens to undermine years of efforts aimed at promoting unity within the NPP and the wider Ghanaian society.
According to the group, its identity is rooted in the principle of “unity in diversity,” to integrate settler communities into Ghana’s political process without discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or background.
The controversy is particularly sensitive because the Nasara Wing is sometimes publicly associated primarily with Muslim members of the NPP in the Zongo communities.
The Ashanti Regional leadership, however, stressed that such a description is inaccurate, insisting that the wing is not exclusively Muslim and is open to settler communities that include Christians and members of other religious traditions.
The group therefore accused Owusu Bempah’s comments of having the potential to create unnecessary divisions along religious and tribal lines. It said such rhetoric is inconsistent with the longstanding values of religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence and national cohesion.
The Ashanti Regional Nasara Wing has consequently demanded that the preacher withdraw the allegation and offer an unqualified apology to both the wing and the NPP within a reasonable period.
It warned that should the demand not be met, the group would consider all legitimate options available to protect its reputation, leadership and institutional integrity.
The dispute adds another layer to tensions that have reportedly characterised the relationship between the preacher and sections of the NPP political establishment following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Owusu Bempah has been associated with the NPP and has, at various times, publicly expressed political and spiritual views concerning the party and its leadership.
The latest confrontation, however, has shifted the focus from political disagreement to accusations involving alleged threats against his church and the conduct of supporters of Dr. Bawumia.
NPP communicators and youth activists have rejected suggestions that Dr. Bawumia or individuals working with him are plotting against the preacher. Some party representatives have demanded evidence to substantiate claims of a planned attack, while urging Owusu Bempah to refrain from making statements that could unnecessarily inflame tensions within the party.
The Nasara Wing has now taken the matter beyond the immediate disagreement with the preacher by calling on major Christian bodies, including the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and other ecumenical organisations, to publicly address what it describes as a pattern of conduct by the preacher.
The group wants religious leaders to ensure that the pulpit is not used as a platform for what it considers tribal or religious bigotry, particularly at a time when the political environment is already becoming increasingly charged ahead of the 2028 general elections.
