Tangoba Abayage speaks out on attempted sex tape extortion
The woman allegedly attempted to extort as much as GH¢50,000 from her [Tangoba Abayage] financiers in exchange for keeping the alleged tapes of Tangoba Abayage from leaking to the public.
Former Upper East Regional Minister Tangoba Abayage has broken her silence on an alleged extortion attempt involving fake sex tapes, describing the experience as a calculated smear campaign designed to discredit her during the 2020 general elections.
In a detailed personal account shared publicly on her Facebook wall, the one-time New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Navrongo Central recounted receiving a shocking phone call from one of her major campaign financiers during the heat of the campaign trail.
The caller, whom she described as a rarely-contacted yet trusted supporter, informed her that a young woman identified as Emelda Kumbono had been approaching individuals perceived to be her sponsors with claims that she possessed sex tapes involving the politician.
According to Abayage, the woman had attempted to extort as much as GH¢50,000 from her financiers in exchange for keeping the alleged tapes from leaking to the public.
“I screamed: ‘whaaaattt? And you believed such nonsense?’” Abayage recounted in her statement, adding that she was both shocked and angry.
She further explained that her financier initially feared the claims could be true due to limited personal knowledge of her life outside politics, but eventually concluded the story was fabricated after observing inconsistencies and lies in the woman’s narrative.
“One of the most ridiculous names that popped up as being in one of the tapes was Tiny—the musician,” she noted sarcastically, adding “Oh, am I that pathetic? Poor me. I doubt if that boy even knows me.”
The former minister and ambassador to Italy expressed her disbelief over how far the falsehood had traveled without her knowledge, even revealing that some funds had allegedly been extorted from people close to her before the fraud was uncovered.
“I NEVER ENGAGE IN ANY OF THE FACTORS THAT CAN GENERATE [a sex tape]: NEVER!” she declared emphatically, describing herself as a responsible woman who takes full accountability for her actions and avoids untrustworthy company.
Despite never having met or identified Kumbono, Abayage said the incident reflects broader challenges faced by women in politics.“As a woman pursuing politics in a country where everything is sexified… it’s not out of the normal for them to come at you with reckless abandon,” she said, adding a word of advice: “As much as possible be ready to defend yourself in public.”
The former regional minister ended her message with a cautionary note on hearsay and resilience:
“Let that bother you at your own peril.”
Mike 105.3 FM | Navrongo | Castro Senyalah
