Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe is no stranger in the news. He would always come out to speak out his mind, without “tuuingsebi.”To such a fellow as the adage goes, you do not “beg pardons,” when speaking the truth.
As a leading firebrand and member of the New Patriotic Party, he threw aside his blood-links with Jerry John Rawlings and bullshitted him, his party and political ideologies. During those days, he was cheered on by all free minded Ghanaians, particularly members of the New Patriotic Party. He was very hard on his cousin, Rawlings and his PNDC/NDC.
With that attitude, he portrayed to the world, who he really was. A no-nonsense person who could be described as principled enough to condemn his own mother publicly, as he would condemn a total stranger.
For the past sixteen or so years, he might have noticed something which was not just right, taking roots in the party he co-founded and loved so much. Trust him, he would never vent his anger and disappointment behind closed doors but will always go public.
No one can deny that the issues in the party during these times do warrant, questioning, criticisms and outright condemnations. The leadership of the party is pretending that nothing is going on wrongly, but unfortunately almost two million supporters, the party’s natural backbones, decided to raise their objections by staying away from the polling stations during the General Elections.
The NPP like any respectable institution had its Constitution to clearly show the path, members must collectively tow. Things went on well with blind discipline directing what are to be done and not to be done. A top member, KakraEssamuah, only had to praise another party’s flag bearer for a speech he made and that cost him his membership. This was clearly interpretated as “campaigning for a candidate not from the party.”
Yes, those were the days when there were men in the party and even people like Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo could be described as backbenchers among the no-nonsense disciplinary elders.
Yes, in NPP there were freedoms, one had freedoms of expression and action, but must neverbreak the rules.
Then things took an opposite turn. It began with the choice of running mate in 2008, which against the party’s constitution, someone who was not qualified anda total stranger as such, was hanged on the party. That article in the Party’s Constitution, Art. 13 (3) was waived off.
Earlier, after the 2007 primary, the floodgates of indiscipline were opened and some NPP members descended on those who initially supported an aspirant other than the flag bearer, and beat the living daylight out of them. Yes, those victims had freedom of association, but that freedom enslaved them.
An Establishment was formed, the communist way, where one was to obey all laws, but he or she must be discreet to know when and to whom such obedience was to be applied to. One could break the party’s laws and be branded a patriot only if by so doing he or she supported the decrees of the Establishment.
So, as things went, a blue-blooded anti-UP socialist, Freddy Blay, defected from his CPP to join the NPP and was crowned a top party executive position. This man who disliked the UP Tradition was now going to decide the fate of the NPP, and no-one talked, for he stood for the Establishment and the Establishment must be obeyed.
Suddenly, a party that stood against tyrants and dictators of this nation and the world, was put under oppressors’ rule and no one could even cough. Did, I say no one? People like H.E. J. A. Kufuor, Paul Afoko, Sammy Crabbe and of course, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo were among the vociferous micro-minority who spoke their minds against the wrong steps the party had taken, warning of disaster.Unfortunately, the Establishment had taken a sound footing, instilling fear into the party members and anyone seen or heard to be doing or saying anything against the system, was quickly branded a traitor and an enemy of the party, and treated as such.
The NPP which was a fine and classic example of democracy in Africa, suddenly became a perfect blend of a cocktail of dictatorship, autocracy, authoritarianism and oligarchy, what can simply be described as democratic dictatorship.
Then Paul Afoko, a true liberal democrat, became elected as national chairman, in 2014, to the shock and disbelief of the Establishment, when he beat its choice to third position.
Quickly, plans were put across to remove him, by any means possible, even if it meant breaking the party’s Constitution. As mandated, it is only the Electoral or Appointment Body that elected or appointed an officer that can remove him. When attempts to get the National Delegates Conference to do so, failed, the Establishment resorted to the National Council, and its wishes were granted. Then the former CPP member, Freddy Blay became acting national chairman. Now the Establishment had fully arrived.
Under his administration, painstaking efforts were made to make sure that every party officer, elected or appointed supported the Establishment’s course. In 2018, Freddy Blay was elected national chairman. This cost a minister, Hon. OtikoDjaba, her position in government when she opposed the idea that full support must be given to Freddy to win the chairmanship.
So, it turned out that the Seat of Government controlled the party and no one could voice out against this; no one except, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo.
In the 2022 national delegates conference, Steve Ntim won, after five attempts and many thought true democracy would once again, smile down on NPP.
Justin Kodua, the new General Secretary started off by warning against party officers and appointees campaigning for presidential aspirants. But under his watch, a lot of such officers, openly endorsed Bawumia and nothing happened to them, but anyone who did same for Alan Kyerematen was immediately suspended.
Kodua, again, came out to calm party members down by stating that all members who left with Alan were still to be considered NPP members. He made an about-turnand came back expelling them.
It clearly showed that the NPP national executives were not in charge of the party. Only a few people could decide what should be done, who should be picked as candidates and many others. With no elder to hold the party, almost two million party supporters, decided that with Alan out, NPP was not worth their votes. Unfortunately, Alan was not strong on the ground, so they decided never to go to waste time going to the polling station.
It is how far the NPP has come. No one in the driver’s seat to drive the course of the party to the right direction. Twice, in 2020 and 2024, the party had to set up committees to unravel why it performed poorly in the elections. And twice, the reports were kept away from the stakeholders. So, who is in charge? Who wants to keep things away from members?
This could probably include the reason why Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo came out recently to describe the party as one without leadership.
For saying that, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo was described by Justin Kodua as one with a disruptive voice, who instead of wisely counselling the rank and file, he makes statements and comes out with public postures which are not helpful to the party’s reorganisation.Justin threatens to strip off Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo’s founding father status.
Interestingly, with Nyaho Nyaho-Tamaklo’s firebrand nature and desire to speak out the truth, can Justin Koduaorany party executives allow him to counsel the members? The proposal to demote Nyaho-Tamaklo will not stop him, rather he will start building a strong fan base from the two million supporters who stayed away from the polls.
During the old days, he was cheered on by the NPP when he fired shots at the opponents, but today the same party, considers him a course-trouble. The only way to shut his mouth is for the party to rebrand and get back to the good old days. The Establishment must be dismantled and the NPP would bounce back, as strong as ever.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
