Is the NPP ready for 2016?

by Kwabena Opong, Accra

The expectations of most members of Ghana’s premier opposition New PatrioticParty (NPP) after the election of a new national executive appear to be mixed as current developments point more to a party in distress and imminent implosion.
No sooner had the elections ended did speculations and rumors began flying about issues of neutrality of the new bosses of the party. Lo and behold, the constitution of the party came under intense focus as newly elected General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong decided to stick to the letter of the party’s supreme legal document. But before then came the issue of who should constitute the National Council. Until then, the National Council, the second most powerful body in the party had never been an issue until someone thought it could be: it had to be reconstituted, and according to some party members, to reflect more of supporters of Alan Kyerematen who it was believed had Kwabena Agyepong in his pocket. Or was it Kwabena Agyepong rooting for Alan?It was everybody’s guess, and as the arguments raged a party member decided to go to court.
David Hoezame, a former constituency chairman filed a suit at an Accra High Court seeking a declaration that the National Council of the NPP was not properly constituted. Some party members, including Bugri Naabu, Northern Regional chairman of the party have said this could equally invalidate the election of the current executives since these same members of the National Council voted in the recent Tamale National Delegates’ Conference which elected them into office. Election for membership of the National Council was held on Sunday June 30, but it did not end the cynicism. Former Chief of Staff Kwadwo Mpiani refused to resubmit his name for reelection because according to him the exercise is not constitutional.
As party members gloated over the lawsuit, another trouble brewed up on Tuesday, June 25 at the party’s head office. The security personnel at the party headquarters revolted attracting some police personnel to the place. We don’t know if the problem is related to the firing of Mr. Opare Hammond a full time administrative employee at the headquarters. He was asked to vacate his position by the new executive prompting questions and suspicions from party members who wondered why the poor guy was being subjected to a so-called house-cleaning exercise at the headquarters.
Some party members see an anti-Akufo Addo group is asserting itself through the current executive. General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong and Chairman Afoko have both denied any role in denying Nana Addo the party’s flag bearership in 2016 but Kwabena Agyepong’s utterances on the issue gives him away as an interested party. “I would not let what happened to me the last time happen this time,” he has repeated in several media encounters on the issue of the timing of the election of a flag bearer. Why he has inserted himself into the matter has become a matter of worry to some senior members of the party. He has also recently threatened to excommunicate any member of parliament who openly supports an aspirant. This is not unrelated to the recent declaration of the NPP’s parliamentarians that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo should be allowed to stand unopposed for the flag bearership.
Amandla’s man in Accra is yet to wade into the issues of the NPP directly but promises to bring a thorough investigative report on the issue in due course. Party faithful in the US need to know the truth but the goings-on in the NPP is clearly not indicative of a party ready to assume the reins of government in 2016.

Posted by on Jul 18 2014. Filed under top stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Leave a Reply

Amandlanews.com