The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is scheduled to elect its flagbearer on 31st January 2026, and already the atmosphere within the party has become heated with internal debates, fervent defences and sometimes unrestrained communication from loyalists of the aspirants or candidates. In a vibrant democracy, it is natural for individuals to express their preferences and to articulate the qualities of the candidates they support.

However, what must never be forgotten is that the NPP as a political party is bigger than any one aspirant or candidate. The collective interest of the party must come before the individual ambitions of those vying to lead it. Unfortunately, many party communicators appear to be drifting away from this crucial principle, forgetting that the very survival and reputation of the NPP will be at stake if such infantile political communication continues.

When defending aspirants like Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum or Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyapong or any other candidate seeking the flagbearership, communicators must understand that they are simultaneously defending the NPP and, in that regard, the conduct, tone and content of their defence carry implications not only for the candidate or aspirant in question but also for the image of the party. It is therefore infantile political communication when party communicators defend their aspirants in a manner that dents the reputation of the NPP as a whole. Such an approach, whilst it may seem to score points in the short term for one’s candidate or aspirant, only provides ammunition for political opponents like the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who will eagerly exploit every internal fissure for their own gain.

The NPP must come before any aspirant or candidate. This is the golden rule every communicator should inculcate. To defend an aspirant in ways that cast doubt on the party’s unity, achievements, or credibility is to undermine the very foundation on which that aspirant is standing. What value is there in winning a flagbearership race if, in the process, the party’s broader reputation is weakened ahead of the 2028 general elections? When communicators take positions that give the NDC an opening to criticise the party, they are effectively sabotaging the NPP’s electoral fortunes. No aspirant should encourage or tolerate such recklessness, and no communicator should feel that loyalty to an aspirant justifies damaging the party that the aspirants wish to lead.

Unfortunately, there are some within the party who, instead of cautioning against this kind of divisive communication, praise it. They cheer on those who hurl careless words or indulge in unnecessary attacks that tarnish the collective image of the NPP, but this is nothing more than sycophancy. It is a shallow and inorganic form of praise designed to curry favour and to establish a fake rapport with the communicators of certain aspirants. This culture of sycophancy is extremely detrimental to the health of the NPP because it rewards recklessness and punishes restraint. It elevates individuals who put aspirants above party and further sidelines those who insist that the NPP must remain the central focus.

The sycophancy is simply too much, and it must stop. Genuine loyalty to the NPP means insisting that communicators defend the party first, and aspirants second. No matter how passionately one supports Dr. Bawumia or Kennedy Agyapong, the defence of these individuals should never come at the expense of the NPP. After all, without a strong NPP, no aspirant has a viable path to the presidency. Without a united NPP, the 2028 elections become a steeper uphill battle, and without a credible NPP, the sacrifices of party members, supporters, and past leaders risk being undermined.

Communicators should therefore adopt a disciplined approach. They should highlight the strengths of their aspirants whilst emphasising the collective successes of the NPP. They should criticise constructively but never in a way that damages the image of the party. Above all, they must avoid granting the NDC easy talking points by portraying the NPP as divided, disorganised, or internally at war. Political opponents thrive when internal communicators lose sight of the bigger picture, and the NPP cannot afford to make that mistake in the run-up to 2028.

The message is simple: defend your aspirant, yes, but defend the NPP even more. A flagbearership contest is temporary; the NPP’s future is permanent. No candidate, no matter how charismatic or popular, can succeed without a strong party behind them. It is the NPP that will ultimately carry any flagbearer to victory. Communicators must therefore remember that their loyalty, above all else, should be to the NPP. To do otherwise is to betray the very tradition that has given them a platform to speak in the first place.

The author, Scott Edward Agyemang, is a Doctoral Researcher and Political Analyst