The NPP Never Learns

In Ghana’s Fourth Republic, few issues have caused as much internal rancour within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the charge of imposing candidates on the grassroots. In theory, the NPP prides itself on internal democracy through primaries and vetting. In practice, however, many aspiring candidates have been disqualified by committees or sidelined through acclamation, prompting accusations that national or regional executives are simply hand-picking favourites.

The 2016 Elections: Early Warning Signs

By 2016, local disputes had already begun to surface. Delegates in constituencies such as Ada openly complained that candidates were being foisted on them, undermining the spirit of choice. One constituency organizer put it bluntly at the time: “We have been reduced to spectators in our own party. Decisions are being made for us, not by us”. While these claims did not yet crystalize into large numbers of independents, they signaled a brewing storm within the party.

The 2020 Elections: Widespread Disqualifications and an Independent Victory

The problem reached a new peak in the run-up to the 2020 polls. Across the country, vetting committees struck out several aspirants, especially in the Eastern and Ashanti Regions. In the Eastern Region alone, as many as fifteen hopefuls were reported to have been disqualified. Many of those who felt unfairly treated accused the party hierarchy of manipulating the process.

The consequence was a surge of independent candidacies. While most of these independents lost, the NPP suffered one of its most embarrassing defeats in Fomena. Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who had fallen out with the party, stood as an independent and won. His seat became crucial in the closely divided 8th Parliament. That single episode underlined how costly the politics of imposition could be.

Asiamah himself remarked after his victory: “The people of Fomena sent a message; it is they, not the party executives in Accra, who decide who goes to Parliament”. And rightly so.

The 2024 Elections: Numbers Even Higher

Four years later, the 2024 cycle repeated the story. Reports in January of that year indicated that at least eleven aspirants had been disqualified in one round of vetting, with other outlets putting the number closer to seventeen. As the dust settled, several aggrieved aspirants entered the race as independents. In Ashanti Region alone, analysts counted more than twenty such independent candidates, a significant dent in the unity of the party in its stronghold. Once again, the majority of these independents failed to win. But their very presence fragmented local campaigns, drained resources, and deepened internal bitterness.

Akwatia and the By-Election Factor

Even in 2025, as the party geared up for the Akwatia by-election, complaints resurfaced. The swift acclamation of Solomon Kwame Asumadu was described in some quarters as another case of imposition. A constituency elder voiced his frustration: “If we are only called to clap hands after decisions are made, how can we own the campaign?” Results from Akwatia have started trickling in, and I have my doubts the NPP can sail through.

The Bigger Picture
Taken together, these episodes show a consistent pattern:

• 2016 offered early warnings through local complaints.
• 2020 saw dozens of disqualifications and the dramatic independent victory in Fomena.
• 2024 repeated the cycle with double-digit disqualifications and over twenty independents in the Ashanti Region alone.
• 2025 by-elections are already drawing the same criticisms.

The electoral effect is mixed. Most imposed or acclaimed candidates still ride on the strength of the NPP machinery to win. Yet the few exceptions, especially Fomena have proven costly, weakening the party in Parliament and damaging its image as a democratic organization.

A Word of Advice
Politics is about numbers, not academic titles or the preferences of party executives. Each time the NPP sidelines its grassroots in favour of “darling” candidates, it risks defections, independents, and disillusionment. If the party does not learn this lesson before 2028, it may repeat the mistakes of 2020 and 2024, where imposition cost it goodwill, unity, and in some cases parliamentary seats.

If the NPP wishes to remain competitive, especially as Ghanaians weigh their options more critically, it must return power to the delegates and the ordinary voter. That is the only way to heal internal wounds, build trust, and convince the electorate that the party practices the very democracy it preaches.

PS: For those of you who saw the confusion which nearly erupted, please remember the saying of the Gas. That in every house, there is a Mensah (lol!). Please don’t let one dark cloud obliterate the beautiful sky. Only the discerning will understand.

FUSEINI ABDULAI BRAIMAH
+233208282575 / +233550558008
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