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New
Patriotic Party, a house still divided?
Abdul Salam Sule, Ghanadot
Accra, March 25, Ghanadot - There is no gainsaying the fact that
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is the largest opposition party in
Ghana, though there are other minority political parties. But
the unity that exists in the party has been described by
political analysts as fragile and until something is done about
it, the party would continue to suffer defeat in the hands of
its political rival, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The disunity of the party started in the run-up to the party's
congress to elect its flagbearer in December 2007, 17 when
candidates from the party contested the slot.
Many political analysts at
that time warned the party of the danger involved over what came
to be known as a crowded flagbearership race but the party's
national executives paid no attention to the advice offered.
Before
the elections could be held, the race of the flagbearership was
clearly between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and Mr Alan Kojo
Kyeremanteng.
Though Nana won the elections at the congress, the crowded
flagbearership race of the party left in its wake a seemingly
protracted wrangling and feud between pro Alan Kyeremanteng and
Akufo Addo factions.
At a point in time in the
heat of the political campaigns by the various political parties
to succeed the then President Kuffour, Mr Kyeremanteng
temporarily pulled out of the party following what he claimed in
his resignation letter as the intimidation and marginalization
of his followers by supporters of Akufo Addo.
It took the intermediary role and persuasions by former
President Kufour before Alan could return to the party.
The unity in the party has since been fragile.
No wonder after the defeat of the party in the 2008 Presidential
elections, political analysts blamed it on the inability of the
party's hierarchy to unite the party.
From ruling party to opposition, many have thought that the NPP
would come together to fight themselves back to power but that
unfortunately seems not to be the case.
On Sunday, March 22nd this year, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo,
the Presidential candidate of the party in the just ended
presidential elections arrived from his European tour and the
party organised to give him a rousing welcome at Kotoka
International Airport. But the welcome party did not please
supporters of Mr Alan Kyeremanteng who argued that, Nana Addo is
no more the leader of the party after loosing the Presidential
elections to Prof Mills.
Mr John Kumah, an aide to Mr Alan Kyeremanteng and stalwart of
NPP in a press conference described the welcoming of Nana Addo
at the airport as a propaganda orchestrated by his supporters in
the party to make him (Nana Addo) popular even before the party
could go for another congress to elect its flagbearer.
Shortly after John Kumah's statement, percieved supporters of
Nana Akufo Addo also hit back and they described his comments as
an attempt to vilify Nana Addo who they said had received
massive endorsement from Ghanaians and which Alan and his
supporters are uncomfortable with.
The National Chairman of NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu in an interview
with Peace FM's Kokrokoo host, Kwami Sefa Kayi on Monday March
23rd 2009, denied any disunity within the party.
According to him, the New
Patriotic Party is growing stronger and stronger and there is no
turning back for the party.
Meanwhile, in an article titled "Roots of Disunity in NPP
getting Firm", the Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch
newspaper and pollster, Mr Ben Ephson, on Tuesday March 24th
edition of the paper, summed the problem in NPP and its denial
by the party's national chairman as " If your mother is dead and
you said she is asleep, two occurrences will expose your lie.
Either you will be angry at 6:00 p.m. or the body will start
decomposing within a few days".
Ghanadot |
