Is that a hidden plan, Hon. Nana Ayew Afriye?
The results of the recent New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Delegates Conference elections of national executives to run affairs of the Party did not obviously go down well with some members and sympathisers of the UP Tradition.
While a lot of people in the Party are in joyous mood, celebrating the arrival of executives who can get the Party back to its golden days, others are praying, things goes wrong so that the Steve Ntim led executives would be shamed and blamed.
The aged long rule of the Party, that no party or government official should openly campaign for any aspirant in any race or risked punishment, was announced by the previous administration, but it only applied to those who dared to proclaim for any flag bearer aspirant, apart from Vice President Bawumia. People who proclaimed for others got suspended, while nothing is done to those who proclaimed for the Veep.
To the conference day, Ashanti regional chairman, who claimed he was made the chairman of the Committee of Regional Chairmen, together with fourteen others announced that they had declared for then General Secretary John Boadu and went on to pledge their regions as well.
And during the conference, he was seen on camera proclaiming for Mr. Boadu for General Secretary and the Veep for flag bearer.
All along, change was coming, a Positive Change, where the NPP was to once again become a party where independent mindedness and decisions were to be respected. No one was going to go along with the socialist system, where the top always thought for bottom. That freedom of expression, which saw Prof Adu-Boahen elected as flag bearer, which also saw Mr. J.A. Kufuor elected as flag bearer and also saw Nana Akufo-Addo elected as flag bearer was strongly coming back.
So, in the end, Steve Ntim, a veteran in the race for national chairman, was elected National Chairman and Justin Frimpong Kodua, who caused the biggest upset was General Secretary, bringing great disappointment to the John Boadu’s camp.
Mr. Justin Frimpong Kodua, hit the grounds running when on the second day as party officer, he read the Riot Act, and warned of dire consequences that would befall any party or government officer who openly declares for any aspirant, then last week an NPP MP. Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, came out boldly violating this party’s rule and declared for Vice President Bawumia and even went on to warn any one who makes things difficult for the Veep to become the flag bearer.
This warning should not be taken lightly for the following reasons.
Who are the ‘We,’ Hon. Afriyeis talking about, who would not spare those who make things difficult for the Vice President? Since this MP is not well known among the entire membership of the Party, and so individually, cannot punish anyone, is he talking about a group of people he is working under, as an errand boy? A group with great influence in the Party? Is this warning meant for the new General Secretary, Justin Kodua, who promised to crack the whip and prevent open campaign from powers-that-be to coerce members to move up to Bawumia’s side?
If the General Secretary stands his grounds and get supported by Chairman Steve Ntim, then obviously there would be an open and flat playing field which people like Hon. Afriye believes will not help the veep’s course.
In this case, the Party Chairman and the General Secretary would have to be removed from office. This had happened before in 2016, when the National Council of less than seventy-five members, overturned the decisions of the largest decision-making body of the Party, the National Conference, comprising over five thousand members, which had elected Paul Afoko, Sammy Crabbe and Kwabena Agyepong as National Chairman, National Second Vice and General Secretary. The three, were removed from office, with indefinite suspensions. 1.5% overturned the decisions of 100% and this can only happen in socialist/communist regimes.
How can the two national executives be removed from office? We have fifteen regional chairmen who are in the National Council, who had earlier declared for John Boadu and most likely for the Veep. They can come out with trumped up false allegations against the two gentlemen to facilitate their removal from office.
It has happened before and it may be tried again, unless the Party stands firm and say enough is enough and weed out all those with diabolic minds to throw the Party into confusion,in this era wheneveryone is talking about breaking the eight.
Many NPP members are getting fed up with such antics and are saying that they want a law-abiding Party, where such reckless and irresponsible languages are not to be entertained.
Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, should know that his party members freely elected him, parliamentary candidate, without any threats coming from anywhere. So, also his constituents freely elected him their Member of Parliament. It is therefore beneath his status to force people to think what he is thinking and make them tow his lines, by force. In fact, he should rather be getting worried that if he does not take care, his constituents will soon openly declare for his opponents, before the parliamentary primaries and parliamentary elections.
As an MP, he is expected to respect rule of law and what better example can he make of himself, by respecting the Party’s rules and regulations.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
