The Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has stated that the decision by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to bar government appointees from contesting the party’s internal elections has been long overdue.

His comments come in the wake of an announcement by the NDC’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, that Ministers of State, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), as well as Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and their deputies in state institutions, must resign from their positions before seeking elective office within the party.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, he said the directive mirrors an existing policy within the NPP, which he said was formally entrenched years ago through a constitutional amendment.

“I think their call is too late,” he said. “As far back as July 19, we [the NPP] amended our constitution to make it clear that anyone holding a party position who is appointed into government must resign," he said.

Mr Mohammed noted that the NPP did not merely adopt the rule on paper but enforced it strictly, even at the highest levels of party leadership.

“We implemented it fully while we were in government. The General Secretary of the NPP today was a CEO and had to resign. I also recall that the National Organiser, who was the Youth Organiser was also made to step aside,” he explained.

He argued that separating party leadership from government administration is necessary to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure effective governance.

“There are many other examples I can cite, but the principle is simple: the role of a party leader must be clearly separated from the role of someone performing government duties,” he stated.

While acknowledging the NDC’s decision as a step in the right direction, Haruna Mohammed insisted that the policy should have been implemented much earlier.

“So yes, we applaud them for introducing it, but it is clearly too late in the day,” he added.