The New Patriotic Party is directly linked to the United Party. On that fateful day, on October 13, 1957 it was Busia who brought National Liberation Movement (NLM) to the table; Dombo brought Northern People’s Party (NPP); S.G. Antor brought the Togoland Congress (TC); Modesto Apaloo brought the Anlo Youth Association (AYA); Attoh Okine and Attoh Quarshie brought the Ga Shifimokpee; Bankole Awooner Renner brought the Muslim Association Party (MAP). Bankole was born in Elmina in 1898 and converted to Islam in 1942. He parted ways with Nkrumah’s CPP and formed MAP.
This was how the United Party came to be formed and if indeed the NPP wants to honour the fine gentlemen who founded this tradition then it will be fair to mention all the names of those political party leaders. So, at best, since these leaders decided on the name United Party, then the tradition should be the UP Tradition.
By the way, where from the name Danquah in the tradition? With respect, the UGCC was co-founded by Paa Grant and J.B. Danquah on August 4, 1947. The UGCC had a life span of less than five years and this according to Prof. Adu Boahen, in his book, “GHANA: Evolution and Change in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries,” it had to do with elitism. The youth and grassroot members of the party who felt always being looked down upon by the elite leadership, left with Nkrumah. In the first elections, which took place in 1951, the UGCC won only three seats out of the thirty-eight seats, J.B. Danquah, in Akim Abuakwa Central, William Ofori-Atta (Paa Willie) in Akim Abuakwa West and Gerald Otto Awuma in Akpini-Asogli. The UGCC closed shop and Danquah went on to Co-Found the Ghana Congress Party. In 1954, he and Paa Willie lost their Akim Abuakwa seats. K.A. Busia was the only parliamentary candidate of the Ghana Congress Party who won his seat in Wenchi East, then in Ashanti region.
In 1956, Busia was with NLM and became leader of the Opposition in Parliament. Even though the Dombo’s led-NPP won more seats than the Busia-led NLM, Dombo ceded the leadership of the Opposition to Busia. By popular votes, the NLM had more votes than the NPP and Dombo felt it was only proper to make Busia the leader of the Opposition.
The fact is that even though the Ashanti region was the most populous, for political reasons it was given only twenty constituencies coming fourth after Western (22); Eastern (23) and Northern (26). This was one of the reasons, which gave birth to the National Liberation Movement.
Today, the Muslims, the Ewes, the Northerners and the Gas who were traditional members of the UP, have gone to become the backbone of the NDC. If the NPP will continue with this Danquah-Busia-Dombo Tradition thing, it will be very obvious that descendants of the Muslim Association Party, Ga Shifimokpee, Togoland Congress, Anlo Youth Association and a large section of the Northern People’s Party will always feel neglected and they will find NPP, unattractive.
Political history has full evidence that J.B. Danquah played no role in the formation of the United Party. Bringing in his name as part of the tradition, is not right, especially when other important political leaders, have their names left out and are totally forgotten.
If Akanization of NPP is a worry to members like Hon Atta Akyea, then this is what they have to worry about. The name Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition which was at first the Danquah-Busia tradition is not only wrong, but it also side lines other important ethnic groups who stood together to bring the United Party and its tradition into existence.
The strong Akan support base is not the problem, in fact Akans must be celebrated, after all, they are also well-meaning Ghanaians.
The third point is related to the first in a way. Atta Akyea is saying there is the need to pick the Vice President as flag bearer because he learned under the driver (the president) and so could drive (govern) the vehicle (nation) better. He added that the vice has been sixteen years (actually will be sixteen by 2024) as a mate under the president. He added the eight years when NPP was in political wilderness, so how could he impute experience here? A driver who just got his driver’s license but without a vehicle to drive cannot have any experience to impart on his mate.
Or someone who completes education and sits home for five years without a job cannot qualify as someone with the job experience, irrespective of the grades he had. This is what Hon. Atta Akyea must know and accept.
Is Hon. Atta Akyea suggesting a convention that from henceforth, NPP should pick only vice-presidents to succeed presidents as flag bearers? What happens if a president and his vice, perform so abysmally that NPP got only one term and goes back into opposition? Will the next Congress be adamant to pick the same poor performing president as flag bearer who in turn will pick his equally poor performing vice as running mate? Is this something for Congress to decide?
Hon Atta Akyea summarised what he wanted to say, by suggesting a new convention. The Vice President as flag bearer and Alan Kyerematen as running mate, something which is seriously being considered by the Bawumia camp.
This should be something that should be amicably discussed before Congress and if the Party decides some kind of arrangement like this, then Congress must first go ahead and choose which of the two should be flag bearer and the other gets picked as running mate.
Decision of Congress is what is paramount, here, because it is only Congress that should decide who should be flag bearer.
The three suggestions made by my friend who is learned, would rather create confusion and division in the party. It is like this thing about it is Dombo’s turn. Even as I do not believe in the tradition of the NPP being called Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, to suggest it is the turn of a Dombo, falls flat as events of recent history portray.
The first flag bearer of the NPP was a Danquah (AduBoahen); the second was a Busia (J.A. Kufuor). So why was the third not a Dombo as in Aliu Mahama but rather the party went back for a Danquah? NPP Congress will always pick the one deemed fit to lead the party. And one thing, Dombo was a Catholic and not a Muslim.
I only plead with the National Executive Council of the NPP not to do anything to jeopardise the chances of the Party in the 2024 General Elections. Party members must be encouraged to only talk about the positive sides of their favourites and not attempt to twist history or come out with suggestions that will rather provoke anger and passion leading to confusion and conflicts in the Party.
Hon. Daniel Dugan.
