This New Patriotic Party’s presidential primary is coming at a cost to both the flag bearer and the party.
Instead of re-organising the party and bringing in hope, the NPP National Executive Council has decreed that this time round, the presidential primary, which is the last internal election in the party, should take place first.
Supporters of this idea are saying it will result in marketing the party’s flag bearer well enough before Elections 2028. He would be more popular and better known among all other flag bearers, and this would give him needed advantage, they claim.
But who says, it is the most popular and famous, that people will vote for? People will only vote for a candidate who has been well-packaged from a well organised and united party. Going down memory lane, the 1979 presidential election was won by a hitherto unknown Dr. Hilla Limann of the Peoples National Party (PNP) which was very organised and more united.
Dr. Limann was well packaged and became the choice of the people, over two top seasoned politicians, namely Victor Owusu of the Popular Front Party (PFP) and William Ofori-Atta (Paa Willie) of the United National Convention (UNC), which split from a disunited Progress Party group.
Today, the NPP is not united and it seems that but for some genuine members who are calling for unity, the party administration does not seem to be bothered.
And it is in this mess of disunity and time of great confusion that the party wants to elect its flag bearer.
Over two million party faithful turned their backs on the party when it mattered most. A committee was set up to find out the reasons why the party flopped at the polls. This was done, but the findings were branded, Highly Confidential, and kept under lock and key in a safe deposit box, somewhere.
The only solution to the problem at hand that the party leaders can think of, is to have an early election of flag bearer. And in my opinion, the reason behind this is very obvious. The administration wants to off-load all problems unto the flag bearer, who would have to spend greater part of his campaign resolving internal problems the party administration had created.
The current administration wants to play safe and throw blames at the next flag bearer when things turn rough and bad. It is like a wolf muddying the waters up stream and rushing down stream to blame the lamb.
Now what usually creates confusion and disunity in constituencies, is been downloaded unto the bigger platform, the presidential race in the General Elections.
There are cases where constituency executives may create or encounter serious problems in the constituency but would decline to solve them. They would wait for the parliamentary candidate to come and clean the mess up. If that happens, no matter how the PC resolves the problems he will end being hated by some members.
Worse of all, these same executives would start accusing the parliamentary candidate right through to the national officers and flag bearer for him to look the villain when he is truly not.
The party will become seriously disunited under him and it would show during the elections. This could lead to reduction of votes which could easily result in the losing of the election in that constituency.
The current administration knows the problems they originated and feel they cannot get their hands dirty, especially with the party in opposition, when there is no president to handle matters.
The incoming flag bearer, as the head of the party, will be saddled with the task of resolving issues. Apart from the fact that he would not have quality time to deliver his campaign message, and not being able to reach out to the people, he would step on toes within the party and create enough enemies, creating a disunited party into the general elections.
The results will be obvious: poor performance. And this is what the current administration wants. The executive members will love to peacefully take their seats in the background, far away from the center of the storm, so that whenever things go wrong and turn rough, they can play innocent and rather point accusing fingers at the flag bearer.
It is about time; party members rise up and insist the right things are done. Firstly, the party must be fixed, then the normal process of election of officers from Bottom-Top must be carried out.
When this happens, the party can reorganise from the base, upwards, as all inefficient executives would be thrown out. The new executives will then start transforming and reforming the party from the grassroot level to the national.
People will see in the party, one that is responsible and principled and it will become attractive to many.
So, by the time the flag bearer is elected, he would have a sound and united party to carry out the fight for the presidency.
In conclusion, I will reiterate that the NPP must first be fixed before the party is handed-over to the flag bearer. This presidential primary in January 2026, must be cancelled. Rather, the normal process of Bottom-Top Approach must be re-instated and by December 2026, the NPP will be ready for a flag bearer who can lead the party to victory in 2028.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
