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Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, has clarified that he was speaking to the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition of the party when he made now controversial comments on Dombos.

His comment comes on the back of concerns regarding a statement he made when he spoke at a pro-Alan Kyerematen Health Walk over the weekend in Kumasi. He suggested that the Dombos (Northerners) in the NPP have traditionally been running mates to the Danquahs and Busias.

In an interview with Accra-based Metro TV on August 15, he explained that he only narrated the political history of the party and did not intend to say Northerners are only meant to be running mates.

“I did not mention that Northerners are only fit for Vice Presidential slots. I did not say that. In fact, I was talking about our tradition and I was giving a historical fact which I did not miss (it) and people just twisted it, gave it some kind of propaganda headline. I just want to place that one one record first,” Hopeson Adorye said.

Shedding more light on the comment he made, the pro-Alan Kyerematen supporter opined that the Dombo faction within NPP has always been amongst forerunners of the party when it is winning an election.

He indicated that it has become a convention which Alan Kyerematen intends to follow.

“In this 4th Republic, Adu Boahen was our first candidate representing Danquah. Adu Boahen partnered with Rockson Issifu or so from the Dombo side. Then J.A Kufuor came in. He selected someone, ready to announce and we went into Great Alliance so it stopped there. Then 2000 J. A Kufuor picked Aliu Mahama. So when President Akufo-Addo also came in, he decided to pick Dr. Bawumia representing Dombo.

“You could see that Adu Boahen from Danquah went with Dombo, J. A Kufuor from Busia went with Dombo, Nana Akufo-Addo from Danquah with Dombo. So if you look at the permutation, this time around it is coming to Busia and I said specifically that if a Busia wins, he’s not going to pick anybody from anywhere. It will be Danquah (Dombo). So they should rally support for Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen to win. This is what I said. I said that Dombo is always satisfied when NPP is winning an election,” the former parliamentary candidate reiterated.

“This one was a historical fact. It is not something that I am doing tribal something. I was not tribal. What I explained to you, it was not tribal,” 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).”

“If it went to Danquah, came to Busia, went back to Danquah, where should it go now, is it not Busia?” Hopeson Adorye asked in defense of his support for Alan K.