Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, has  denied making tribal remarks against he former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, describing recent media reports on the matter as false and deliberately misleading.

In a statement issued on Monday,May 19, the MP clarified that the claims stem from a private conversation in a WhatsApp group that has been taken out of context and distorted for political mischief.

“This publication is not only false but also a gross misrepresentation of a conversation that occurred in a private WhatsApp group,” the letter read.

Mr. Opoku explained that his comments were in response to a fellow group member, identified as Tamimu, who questioned the possibility of Hon. Bryan Acheampong becoming the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer simply because he hails from the Eastern Region.

“The suggestion that I objected to a Northerner becoming flagbearer is completely unfounded. In exposing the flawed logic of that argument, I referenced the current President, John Mahama, who is from the North. If we are to follow Tamimu’s line of reasoning, then we should equally question why another Northerner should succeed President Mahama.”

He explained that his response was not an attack on Northerners, but rather a rebuttal of what he saw as a "divisive and regionalist" viewpoint.

Mr. Opoku also reaffirmed his respect for Dr. Bawumia and other party contenders, calling for political discussions to focus on merit, unity, and competence rather than ethnic or regional backgrounds.

“I am above cheap blackmail and petty propaganda. I hold Dr. Bawumia in the highest regard, just as I respect all qualified contenders within our party,” he stated.

He further noted, “It must also be said clearly and without apology that it is no crime to be Akan. Every Ghanaian, regardless of ethnicity or background, deserves equal opportunity to lead and to serve.”

"Let us focus on building a political tradition and a country anchored in merit, unity, and competence not in division and ethnocentric rhetoric," he added.