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The northern Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, has denied media reports suggesting deep cracks in the party, creating tension between the kokombas and Dagombas.

The report said the cracks followed intense lobbying by constituency executives for political appointments at the presidency.

Sections of the media, after a fiery party meeting in Tamale last Wednesday, Feburary 1, 2017, at the Mafara Hotel, reported of division in the party on tribal lines due to intense lobbying for ministerial appointments.

The reports said some concerned party loyalists were accusing the regional chairman of championing the agenda of Kokombas, sparking fury from the majority Dagombas whose kinsmen have no place yet, in the president’s appointments.

A tribal pressure group in the regional capital, Concerned Youth of Dagbon, nearly vandalised party property after a Nanumba and Kokomba tribesmen were named cabinet minister and regional minister respectively.

Its spokesman, Yussif Danjuma, told Starr News the appointments were discriminatory and a way of arming other tribes against Dagombas in a region characterised by tribal violence.

However, at a news conference held at his residence last Thursday, Feburary 2, 2017, chairman Bugri Naabu blamed the media and pressmen for reporting untruth and trying to fan tribal war in the area.

“Some of you pressmen, I doubt whether you are really pressmen; you don’t have integrity. Why didn’t you come to the meeting? This morning when I heard the news item I was shocked. Was this issue raised there?”

“Then where did they raise this issue? It means that the pressmen, some of you are cheap, you work for your stomach,” he averred.

“The pressman claims he is an NPP man and yet he is sabotaging the NPP. I’m saying it, I don’t mince words. He should stop what he is doing. The NPP youth can rebel against him if he doesn’t take time.

“The youth were here this morning agitating and I told them to be patient. The guy should stop. I will take the matter up in Accra,” he assured them.