Ghana Shocked by Politician's Death after Acid Attack

One person has been arrested in Ghana after a leading member of the country's biggest opposition party was attacked with acid and later died, the police said on Friday.

Police spokesman for the Upper East region, Thomas Agbanyo, said a man was detained on suspicion of carrying out the attack on Adam Mahama and another is at large.

Mahama, who is no relation to Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, was a chairman of Ghana's New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East region.

He was attacked on Wednesday night by two men who stopped his car and he died the following morning.

Before his death, Mahama openly criticized the NPP's national chairman Paul Afoko and general-secretary Kwabena Agyepong.

He alleged they had organized a meeting in the region without his knowledge. Angry members of the party disrupted the assembly and drove the national officials away.

The death has shocked Ghana and been condemned by politicians from all parties.

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) described it as a "barbaric and cowardly murder which represents a major setback for our democracy".

NPP presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo said: "We must be very, very calm and responsible.

"The matter is in the hands of the police and I believe that they should allow the police to carry out their investigation and let's see what comes out of it."