Whiles the Akyem Traditional leadership have cited utterances by some NDC members for protests it has over the last few years carried out against the opposition party, some critics have been quick to point out the relationship the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, shares with the Akyem Area as the reason behind their hostility towards the opposition NDC.
Recently, the people of Akyem held a protest against former President John Dramani Mahama and the opposition NDC, over the former president’s decision to share an article written by Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central Isaac Adongo on Facebook.
According to the people of Akyem, the post shared by the former president which referred to some persons associated with the controversial Agyapa deal as “Akyem Sakakwa Boys” was ethnocentric and therefore demanded an immediate retraction and apology from the former president and the NDC.
However, tracing the history of the people of Akyem and the NDC it may be noted that this is not the first time the people of Akyem led by their traditional leadership have demonstrated against the NDC.
In 2019, the Akyem state in a similar fashion held a massive protest against the NDC over some comments made by its Ashanti Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu.
Read below a Mynewsgh.com article published on the demonstration in 2019:
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), stands banished from Kyebi, the hometown of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, barring any timely intervention, MyNewsGh.com reports.
This came up Monday morning when Chiefs of the Okyeman Traditional Council and some residents of Kyebi in the Eastern Region poured onto the streets in protest against the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some of its assigns.
The thousands of demonstrators and kinsmen of the President, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo say they have had enough of the insults from the NDC, targeting the Okyenhene, Amoatia Ofori Panin II.
The march follows a recent comment by the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, Kwame Zu that, but for former president John Dramani Mahama, the Okyenhene would still be “drinking water with animals”; a statement that has not been taken lightly by OforiPaninfie, the traditional seat of government of the Akyem Abuakwa people.
Mr Zu, has since rendered an unqualified apology to the revered chief, but his angered subjects and people would have none of that.
The protesters clad in red and black, some of whom sported in war dresses and led by some sub chiefs thronged the principal streets of the Kyebi Township wielding placards to drum home their new found abhorrence for the NDC.
“This nonsense from NDC must stop”, “NDC koraa what has Okyenhene and Kyebi done to you?”, “NDC, leave Kyebi alone”, “Shameless NDC”, some of the placards read.
Others bore the inscriptions, “NDC, your filth won’t stick”, “Zu of NDC, you are a disgrace”NDC, you can’t divide Ghana”, “NDC and Zu, Okyeman has rejected you”, “NDC, you won’t get away this time”, among others.
The NDC seems to be losing more steem in the strongholds of the ruling party in recent weeks following a series of backlashes on the comments of some of its top functionaries, directed toward the Asantehene, Otumfour Osei Tutu II and Okyenhene, Amoatia Ofori Panin II.
Flag bearer of the NDC, John Mahama was under serious attack from the people of the Ashanti region last week, after he suggested the Asantehene did not persuade him to concede defeat in the 2016 election, contrary to the King’s assertion at the UN.
Mr. Mahama has since served notice that, he would call on the Asantehene when he returns from his trip abroad.
The Akyem Traditional Council lead a demonstration against the NDC in 2019