A lecturer at the Pentecost University has chastised the current leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for superintending over what he describes as indiscipline within the party.

According to Dr Christopher Ampadu, it is surprising that key personalities and influencers are openly campaigning for a single individual ahead of the November 4 presidential primaries without being called to order.

Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews, the political analyst said, the NPP will struggle to stay united ahead of the 2024 elections

“This is one of the most indiscipline trends that NPP has gone through. I was very surprised to see MPs, key leaders of the political party coming out to just tell the public the people they want to vote for. These are people of influence, MPs and regional executive members of the party.

"So it appears that there is no discipline as far as NPP is concerned and this does not also accord fair ground for all the contestants to really campaign for delegates to vote. People of influence, our leaders, and constituency leaders all support one particular candidate for the first time.

"To see a regional chairman of the party campaigning for a candidate, I think this is one of the very sad things to happen to this political party. It should not be taken for granted.

"How do you expect unity, how do you expect people to really come together to support this particular candidate even if he wins to break the eight."

Dr Ampadu explained that the NPP cannot continue to pride itself as the centre of democracy in Ghana when the leaders of the party are unable to promote a free and fair election.

“All the contestants apart from Dr. Bawumia have complained bitterly about this and I think it is so sad for the NPP.

"I believe that if they are sincere about breaking the eight, the party will do something about this..but now, I can say it is too late to do anything about it.

"I think the party didn’t do well to allow these things to go on. I mean, it is true that everyone has who they want to vote for but then the leadership and discipline in the party should have brought them in line especially if they want to be seen as more democratic because what they have done doesn’t show much of their democratic potential that they claim to have," he explained.

Background

A total of 203,439 delegates are expected to partake in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP), presidential elections scheduled for Saturday, November 4, 2023.

The election will elect a flagbearer to represent the party in the 2024 general elections and will take place in the various constituencies across all 16 regions of the country.

The race is between the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, MP for Assin Central Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Agric Minister, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie, and former MP for Mampong Francis Addai-Nimoh.

The former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen resigned from the party in September, after the Special Delegates Conference and declared his intention to contest as an independent candidate citing intimidation and bias.