Battle-hardened grassroots leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper West region, Ali Kamara, affectionately known as Naaba Kungsaangpuo has thrown his hat into the ring for 1st Regional Vice Chairman. With alliance to “Team Alaska,” the announcement blindsided pundits and loyalists alike, igniting a fierce factional feud ahead of critical regional elections. Kamara, a three-term Wa Central constituency chairman and former youth organizer, built his reputation as a shrewd strategist in the NPP’s Upper West stronghold.
His tenure wasn’t without scars: political turbulence marked President Nana Akufo-Addo’s first term, including a brutal clash with then-Municipal Chief Executive Issahaku Tahiru Moomen and a fallout with the party’s 2020 parliamentary candidate.
These battles culminated in his electoral defeat last time out. Yet Naaba Kungsaangpuo remains a polarizing force. Detractors brand him controversial, but supporters hail his influence stretching across all 11 Upper West constituencies, a kingmaker in a region pivotal to NPP fortunes. The defection has fractured Kamara’s base.
Alhaji Ali Kamara known as a longtime ally of Alhaji Abdul Aziz (Alhaji Pure White) has shocked many NPP members and political watchers alike for joining the camp of Alhaji Alaska Kanton who’s the
Hanif Jato, his former personal secretary and ex-Wa Central youth organizer, swiftly pledged allegiance to the incumbent Regional Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman—aka Alhaji Pure White.
In a fiery Facebook post, Jato declared: “Chairman Pure White! We will support you even if you fall, God forbid… Politics must be based on conviction and credibility. For some of us, winning or losing isn’t the end… But a man’s conscience and credibility must always be guarded.” Jato Hanif added.
Many other dye in the wool supporters of Naaba Kungsaangpuo are still routing for chairman Pure White as Upper West regional chairman for the NPP, they are however yet to confirm wether they would opt for Alhaji Kamara as 1st vice Chairman or opt for his contender in the Alhaji Alaska Kanton’s team.
Pure White, who ascended to the chairmanship in 2024 after the death of predecessor SB Kangberee, faces his first real test. His chief rival? Alhaji Alaska Kanton, the incumbent regional organizer and architect of “Team Alaska.” Kanton’s camp, now bolstered by Kamara, positions him as the unstoppable momentum-builder in this high-stakes showdown.As NPP gears up for regional polls, this rift exposes deepening divides: loyalty versus ambition, tradition versus transformation. Observers warn it could reshape power dynamics in Upper West region just as the NPP would be reorganizing across Ghana.
