Former Tarkwa Nsuaem MP, George Mireku Duker, believes that the hostility he is facing from certain quarters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership stems from fears about his potential to one day occupy the highest office of the land.
Addressing party faithful at his Tarkwa residence, Mr. Duker argued that some party figures at the national level view his political rise, coupled with the strategic influence of the Western Region as a threat to their own ambitions.
Taking a swipe at his predecessor, Gifty Kusi, whom he claimed was “only regarded as valuable for serving meals to colleagues in Parliament,” Mr. Duker questioned why a capable leader from Tarkwa should automatically be seen as dangerous to the party’s political hierarchy.
“People from Kyebi, Bole, and other areas have gone on to become President. Why should it be different for Tarkwa or the Western Region? This bias is unfair,” he stated.
His remarks follow his recent appointment by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the NPP’s Western Regional Coordinator a move that has sparked both support and backlash.
Some regional executives have rejected the appointment, branding him a “divisionist” and insisting the party needs a unifier at this crucial stage.
They pointed to his loss in the 2020 parliamentary race in what has long been considered an NPP stronghold as proof of his inability to rally the base. They maintain that the defeat was not due to voter defection but to what they described as his “deeply divisive character.”
In response, Mr. Duker dismissed the criticisms as politically motivated, saying they are driven by anxiety over his growing influence. He stressed that his priority is to solidify grassroots structures in the Western Region and ensure the party’s victory in the 2026 general elections.
