NPP Flagbearer race, whose turn is it?

One politi­cal party in Ghana that believes in traditions and argu­ably has worked for them is the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The tables have dramatically turned perhaps turned against the sys­tem favourites.

For instance, one of its prom­inent and cherished traditions over the years has been the “The Danquah-Dombo-Busia.” This tradition is perhaps the oldest surviving political tradi­tion in Ghana today and dates back as far back as 1947 before Ghana attained independence. It emanates from its main leading figures and the role they played in establishing the party’s ideologies and objectives.

Dr Joseph Boakye Dankwa, who was the founder of the United Gold Coast Conven­tion (UGCC), Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, a former Prime Minis­ter of Ghana and Mr Simon Diedong Dombo, a former Member of Parliament for Jirapa/Lambussie District in the first Parliament of the first and second Republic of Ghana are described as stalwarts of the NPP. These revered and highly respected Ghanaian politicians form a solid foundation of the NPP. They have their names associated with the NPP. The party has therefore claimed the Danquah-Busia-Dombo mantle in the Fourth Republic. Cer­tain times, this comes into very sharp focus as a consideration during party leadership elec­tions.

Part of the consideration is that some party members, look at the original birthplaces of these giants in the party as leadership plugging points. J. B. Dankwa hailing from Kyebi is considered to be from the southern section of the country with K. A. Busia, from Wen­chi in the Bono Region, being considered to come from the middle belt while S. D. Dombo, Jirapa, is placed at the northern sector of the country.

The argument is that there have been three Ghanaian Presidents, from this established tradition, coming from two of these sections of the country, K.A. Busia and K. A. Kufour from the middle belt with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo coming from the southern section of the country. What is left now is the northern sector which has not seen any mem­ber of the tradition leading the party let alone becoming a president of the land. So whose turn is it?

To many a Ghanaian, this might be the considerable rea­son why the sitting Vice Presi­dent, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has to lead the NPP this time if the “Aduru Me So” (it is my turn) mantra is anything to go by, besides experience and competence, and therefore has changed the status quo. In fact, it is turning and perhaps has changed as per the results of the special delegates conference last weekend.

Much as politics is about num­bers, it is also about timing and seasons. Normally issues and circumstances change per timing and the seasons. This is why it has changed. It has turned because, over the years, all those who chalked the second posi­tion in the primaries took over from the candidate who had the majority of the votes in the previous primaries.

Since 1992, only the current president Nana Addo Dank­wa Akufo Addo and Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen have contested NPP presidential primaries for four straight times. Nana Akufo- Addo won the national presidential slot on the fourth occasion. If this is any­thing to go by then it is believed that Mr Kyerematen was going to win the primaries held over the weekend or the one to be held on November 4 and subse­quently the national elections.

History has it that at the party’s congress to select a presidential candidate in 1993 Mr Kufour won by 1,256 votes representing 64.60 per cent with Nana Akufo-Addo gaining 628 votes, about half of the total votes won by Mr Kufour, repre­senting 31.64 per cent.

In all subsequent primaries, the trend has remained with Mr Kufour leading followed by Nana Akufo-Addo.

Then came 2014, when Nana Akufo Addo, Alan Kyerematen and Francis Addai Nimoh con­tested after Kofi Osei Ameyaw and Joe Ghartey had withdrawn from the race. However, the bat­tle appeared to be already over, with popular support continu­ing to build behind Mr Akufo Addo, who had represented the NPP at the last two previous presidential elections.

Indeed, there was a growing groundswell of calls for the oth­er two men to stand aside in the name of party unity. With his limited support base, Mr Addai Nimoh appeared to well heed these calls, but Mr Kyerematen, a long-time rival of Mr Akufo Addo, appeared unlikely to be as compliant.

This time round, 10 candi­dates came out to contest the NPP presidential primaries. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Alan John Kwadwo Kyeremat­en, Joe Ghartey, Kwadwo Poku and Afriyie Akoto. The rest were Kwabena Adjei Agyapong, Addai-Nimoh, Kofi Konadu Apraku, Boakye Agyarko and Mahamudu Bawumia.

Per the constitution of the party emanating chiefly from the 2008 experience where 17 party flagbearer aspirants emerged, a special delegates’ conference comprising National Council, National Executive Committee (NEC), regional executive committees, members of the National Council of Elders, Members of Parliament, three representatives of each of the special organs of the party, past national officers, three representatives each from every external branch (27 branches in all), and founder members at the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC)

According to Article 13(9) of the NPP constitution, “Where there are more than five con­testants for nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be shortlisted”.

A total of 956 delegates, made up of all senior members of the party, were expected to vote last Saturday, August 26, 2023 to shortlist the five. At the end of the day, Dr Bawumia, the sitting Vice President of the country, pulled 629 votes, representing 68.15 per cent of the total vote cast. Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong came in second with 132 votes, or 14.30 per cent while Mr Kyerematen placed third with 95 votes or 10.29 per cent. Dr Bawumia could not secure the 95 per cent votes that his campaign team espoused. Not even the 84 per cent the Nana Akufo-Addo chalked in 2015.

By and large great efforts were made considering the fact that that was his very first time in such a race. Apart from himself and the runners-up, Mr Agyapong, almost all other candidates have contested NPP presidential prima­ries before.

The next hurdle is the 4th November elections which will cover a larger elec­toral college than that of the special delegates con­ference one held last Saturday. Party members believe that the NPP is structured, in a way that, what hap­pened last Saturday is deemed as a precursor of what will happen on November 4 and nothing will change it.

Now it is anybody’s, particular chance to be the flagbearer of the NPP as party traditions have not worked and it appears it will not work. If it hap­pens just like this, then it has been a diametrical change in the norms then no one has a bragging right of “it is my turn.”

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Mr Kennedy Agyapong coming to this level for the first time and chalking the feat they have is a clear signal that pol­itics and its dynam­ics have changed and changed forever.

Mark them, Ma­hamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ag­yapong, any of these two could come out as the next flagbearer of the NPP.

BY NANA SIFA TWUM