The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) National Executive Committee (NEC) is reportedly set to reject a petition from former President John Agyekum Kufuor and current President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo regarding the timing of the party’s National Delegates Conference.
According to a member of the regional chairmen’s caucus, 14 out of 16 regional chairmen are in favor of holding the congress early. This was emphasized by the caucus member who stated, “I’m a member of the regional chairmen’s caucus, and I can say on authority that 14 out of the 16 regional chairmen are in favour of holding the congress early. Only two oppose it.”
The urgency for an early congress stems from the perceived state of crisis within the party, marked by disunity and internal power struggles. A source elaborated, “Our party is in a state of crisis, grappling with disunity and internal power struggles. Electing a flagbearer early is the only way to restore order and unity.”
An example of this disunity was highlighted with the situation in Ablekuma North. Despite instructions from the NEC, the party’s 2024 parliamentary candidate, Akua Afriyie, defied directives and contested a re-run in 19 polling stations with support from some party members. A source noted, “Look at what happened in Ablekuma North.
The General Secretary, acting on NEC’s instruction, announced that the party would not contest the re-run in 19 polling stations. Yet, our 2024 parliamentary candidate, Akua Afriyie, defied that and contested with support from some members of the party. That incident clearly shows how divided we are.”
The sentiment for an early congress extends to Parliament, where members believe it is crucial for future electoral success. One parliamentary source stated, “In Parliament, we’ve agreed that early congress is the way forward. We lost the 2024 elections to the NDC by nearly two million votes. We can’t close that gap without early preparation and unity.”
However, the petition for an early congress is expected to face swift rejection by the NEC, with one source indicating, “If such a proposal comes up, it won’t last 10 minutes in discussion. It will be rejected outright.”