Kwesi Kwarteng, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Agyapong Campaign Team, has dismissed claims that the stabbing incident during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) “Thank You” Tour in Kumasi was a dispute among students.
The incident occurred during a gathering at the Pentecost Church in Bantama, where a student from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), affiliated with Unity Hall’s Jama group, was stabbed.
The group had been contracted by Kennedy Agyapong’s team to perform at the event.
According to sources close to Agyapong, a businessman who attended the event gave a cash donation to the Jama group.
Shortly after, a group of heavily built men, allegedly linked to the NPP, stormed the venue, seized the money, and caused chaos.
Gunshots were reportedly fired, and one of the students sustained stab wounds during the altercation.
The victim was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and is currently receiving treatment. Agyapong’s team has lodged a complaint with the Kumasi Central Police Command.
Reacting to the incident on *Morning Starr* with Naa Dedei Tettey, Kwarteng refuted reports that the altercation was between students.
He claimed it was a confrontation between student supporters and “macho men” who opposed their presence.
He added that after the event, a businessman made a donation to the Jama group, but the money was forcibly taken by the armed men.
Kwarteng said the campaign does not view the incident as a coincidence and has called for justice.
He said, ” So, yesterday, we had student supporters from the university who usually perform the jama from Conti and Katanga boys. And these are guys that Kennedy Agyapong had already assured them of being their lifetime patrons. So, everywhere that Ken is, mostly they have the means, they come to sing and support and give their support. Yesterday was not different. They came around also to sing and their support, Kennedy Agyapong. And according to their narrative and accounts that he gives to the police, which I happen to be there, when they were giving the accounts, they said that as they were entering the premises of the hotel, they were prevented by some party officials, mostly, I mean, for now I want to withhold, and also prevented by some heavily built men, the Metro men. And the whole point was that they did not want them to sing the name of Ken at the event, mostly, they were protecting a different candidate.”
He added, “So, right after the event, we even left. But there was a gentleman who was also a Ken supporter and quite well to be a businessman here who was pleased and enthused by the performance of these guys. So, he made a donation of an amount of thousands to them. And the understanding that we have, and of course, the narrative that has come from the guys is that these Macho men snatched the money. And in an attempt to take back the money, they fired some bullets, shot about seven of them. The guys fled away, but they pursued the guys and eventually stabbed one of them. But obviously for us, we don’t think this is a coincidence. It is not a case that they were just arguing or fighting over money. And let me also state and place an emphasis that the dispute over the money was not among the students. It was between the heavily built Metro men and the students who snatched the money.”
Kennedy Agyapong has since pulled out of the tour, citing safety concerns for his supporters.
