In December 2024, at least a third of the support base of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), making two million people, lost faith in the party and decided not to go out to vote. Economic hardships, nauseating pride and arrogance, were among things that put off, these supporters and they declined to go out and vote, for they never like what they were seeing.
What the party support base did to the NPP, is like an angry elder person reprimanding an uncouth youth. When such a thing happens, it calls for an apology and a resolve not to commit that bad behaviour again.
In our culture, it is mark of disrespect and arrogance to say “thank you,” back to an elder who reprimands you for going wrong. It is an insult.
We hear that Nana Addo went on a “Thank You Tour,” so it was appropriate for the party led by the former flag bearer, Dr. Bawumia to go round and also say “Thank You.” Nana Addo’s “Thank You Tour,” was very appropriate for he had to thank Ghanaians for giving him eight years of their lives to rule them, as president. That was very appropriate.
The party’s Thank You Tour, led by Dr. Bawumia, should have been tagged a Reconciliation Tour, so that the party meets with the people and apologise and reconcile. But the party chose to tag it, a Thank You Tour and Nana Akomea, said on a talk-show that Dr. Bawumia invited all those who contested him during the primaries, to join him. So, can we suggest it is a Bawumia thing and not a party thing?
Looking as if it is a campaign for the next primaries, Bawumia came with his battalion of supporters and Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, also did the same.
What was supposed to be some form of peaceful gathering rather turned violent when the entourage got to Bantama in Kumasi. Kennedy’s cheer squad, were said to have sung very well to top what could be called singing competition. Bawumia’s squad decided to show to the public what they can do best, and that is to be violent. And violent, they were.
Unfortunate though, that Bawumia seemed to never had any knowledge about what happened, information coming out reveals that it was those who came to sing his praises, who misconducted themselves. Kennedy’s boys were gifted some money and Bawumia’s boys decided they must have some, at all cost. They were macho men and well-armed with pistols tucked in their trousers.
Someone, narrating what happened on a television talk-show, said Bawumia’s boys took GH¢1,000.00 from Kennedy’s boys and insisted to take GH¢800.00 from it. Of course, this demand was rejected and then gun-shots were fired. There was a stampede and in the midst of this, someone from Kennedy’s side was stabbed. This was akin to armed robbery, and Kennedy decided he would step out of the tour.
I am not in any way blaming Dr. Bawumia for anything that happened. However, unfortunately this is clearly showing that all is not well in NPP.
Bawumia and Kennedy looked like locking horns, as front runners in the next presidential primaries of the NPP. So, if Bawumia’s boys can be armed with weapons, we should not assume that Kennedy’s boys or supporters of other aspirants, will come with bare hands. Then what will Campaign 2028 be like for the NPP? There will be deadly clashes everywhere and the state will decide not to get involved because as they always say, “it is a party matter, so it must be resolved by the party.”
In the end, more members of the support base will move to join the two million others and also refuse to vote for the NPP.
And Kennedy decided to step out of the tour, because a gentleman as he is, he felt that if he should be the reason for any violence and distraction during the tour, then for the party’s sake and for peace, he would step out.
In 2008, a fine gentleman, decided to step out of the party for peace and unity to prevail, when after the 2007 presidential primaries, his supporters were molested by other NPP members who supported Nana Addo. It has happened again.
All said, it is still unconceivable that Dr. Bawumia’s supporters or aides could go about, fully armed. Who could possibly move around armed, except for state security agents or thugs supported by the government of the day? If that is the case then there is an agenda to make this tour unacceptable, so as to portray the NPP as a violent-prone party.
The possibility is very high; however, the organisers are to be blamed. With such a programme which could be opened to abuses from non-NPP sides, careful planning should have been made to make the tour, violent-free. Party intelligence should be able to pick such signals and efforts must be made to immediately counteract them.
At the moment, the party is so vulnerable and anyone can take advantage of lapses, so once there is some form of violence, some party members will grab that opportunity and hell will break loose.
In the end, more and more people will dump the party. This has originated from the kind of leadership NPP had, from 2009 to date. With this, why will supporters not dump the party?
Hon. Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
