Deputy General Secretary of the United Party (UP) and Political Assistant to presidential hopeful Alan Kyerematen, Nana Yaw Sarpong has called for a decisive break from Ghana’s long-standing two-party system, declaring it ineffective and outdated after nearly four decades of dominance.

Speaking on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, October 18, Mr Sarpong described the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as “two sides of the same coin,” who, despite alternating power for close to 36 years, have failed to bring meaningful transformation to the country.

“We need a third force in this country,” he said. “These two political parties have been in and out of government for close to 36 years. Nothing different has been presented to Ghanaians. Everything that happens in terms of governance, we are going around in circles in terms of corruption, we are going around it; in terms of the economy, we are going around it.”

Mr Sarpong argued that introducing a credible third political force would not only give Ghanaians a viable alternative but also compel the two dominant parties to raise their standards.

“If they come to understand that there is another force that is coming and that is coming to lead them they will do things right,” he stressed. “It’s about breaking the duopoly.”

The UP, led by Alan Kyerematen following his exit from the NPP, has positioned itself as a centrist alternative, advocating pragmatic governance and an inclusive national development strategy.

Mr Sarpong added that the timing is ripe for disruption of the political status quo, hinting that the influence of one of the major parties is already waning.

“Fortunately for us, we’ve come at a time where one of the duos is already declining,” he remarked.

He also took a swipe at both parties for their opaque membership structures, saying neither could confidently state how many dedicated members they truly have.

“None of these political parties are able to tell us the exact number of party members. They talk about sympathisers,” he said.