’Machoman’confesses: Okatakyie Africa brought 15 men from Kenyasi to disrupt NPP internal elections

A stunning confession has emerged following the chaotic arrest of media personality and New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, with one of his arrested associates—identified only as “Machoman”—allegedly revealing that Afrifa brought 15 men from Kenyasi and housed them in Agona specifically to disrupt the party’s internal elections in the Sekyere East Constituency.

The confession comes as the full scale of Sunday’s violence continues to unfold, with gunshots fired, multiple arrests made, and allegations of ballot paper forgery casting a dark shadow over the NPP’s internal reorganization efforts.

The Confession

Machoman, speaking after his arrest, reportedly told investigators that Okatakyie Afrifa brought 15 individuals from Kenyasi and provided them with accommodation in Agona. The purpose, according to the confession, was to disrupt the NPP’s constituency executive elections in the Afigya Sekyere East Constituency.

The revelation adds a dramatic new dimension to an already volatile situation that has gripped the Ashanti Region.

What Happened at the Polling Centre

The chaos erupted on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the Afigya Sekyere East Constituency election centre in Wiamoase. According to multiple accounts, Afrifa-Mensah arrived at the venue with a group of supporters and attempted to present a court injunction seeking to halt the elections.

Eyewitnesses reported that the group entered the polling centre, sparking panic among delegates, party officials, and election officers. Some witnesses claimed that members of the group were carrying firearms, though these allegations have not been independently verified. Social media videos showed a heavy deployment of armed police officers moving in to restore order.

In one widely circulated video, a man identified as Afrifa-Mensah—dressed in a green-and-black jersey with yellow stripes—was seen being escorted into a police vehicle. Several other individuals were also arrested, while some reportedly fled the scene.

Gunshots and Violence

The situation escalated dramatically when scuffles broke out between police officers and individuals at the venue. Multiple gunshots were fired as security personnel attempted to control the crowd. Afrifa was quickly surrounded by security personnel and dragged out of the venue amid the chaos.

His campaign team later claimed that Afrifa and four other members of his group sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving medical treatment. The team also alleged that police officers physically attacked Afrifa and his supporters upon his arrival.

The Alleged Ballot Paper Scandal

Afrifa’s communications team has presented a dramatically different narrative, alleging that the election itself was illegal. According to a statement issued on July 12, 2026, the team claimed that Nana Nkansah Buadu—Chief of Agric Nzema and biological father of the sitting Member of Parliament Mavis Nkansah Buadu—along with constituency officials, “printed their own ballot papers, manufactured constituency delegates album and proceeded with arrangements to conduct the suspended constituency elections”.

The statement noted that the NPP National Steering Committee had on July 6, 2026, directed the immediate suspension of the Afigya Sekyere East Constituency Executive Committee elections. Additionally, the High Court in Kumasi had issued an interim injunction restraining the party from proceeding with aspects of the electoral process.

Afrifa’s team insisted that he went to the election centre only to verify the situation and formally notify electoral officials about the court injunction and the party’s suspension directive.

A History of Controversy

Afrifa-Mensah, a prominent media personality and host of the popular podcast “For The Records,” has had prior run-ins with law enforcement. He was arrested in March 2025 in an incident described by the NPP as “unlawful”. In April 2026, he made headlines by paying for the nomination forms of 730 NPP delegates in the Afigya Sekyere East constituency.

Aftermath

Following the police intervention, voting resumed under tight security and was proceeding peacefully, according to officials at the polling centre. Afrifa was later transferred to the Divisional Police Command at Asante Mampong, where he remained in custody.

As of publication, the Ghana Police Service had not issued an official statement confirming the arrests, the identities of those detained, or any charges that may be brought against them. The NPP national leadership had also not issued an official statement on the arrests.

The NPP held its Constituency Executive Elections across the country over the weekend as part of its internal reorganization ahead of the 2028 general elections. Whether the Sekyere East Constituency elections will be validated—or whether the alleged ballot paper scandal will trigger further legal battles—remains to be seen.