Pollster and Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson, has said the national leadership of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, will need to appoint sober-minded persons to help them stabilize in office and manage the party. He said it seems the newly elected executives of the party were too eager to assume their post and may have underestimated the enormity of the job at hand and now appear overwhelmed. Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Friday afternoon, Ben Ephson said unfolding events in the NPP show clearly that decisions are being taken in a rush, such as the opening of nominations in the race to elect a flagbearer ahead of guidelines to regulate the process. The party’s general secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) on Thursday announced what he said was a national executive directive to ban the party’s parliamentarians and office holders from publicly expressing support for any candidate in the race. The directive sparked sharp rebuttals from a couple of the MP’s who had already declared open support for some of the aspiring candidates. They vowed to continue to crusade for their candidates because they were not away of any party decision to ban MPs. Asked if he thought the executives did not prepare adequately for their new offices, Ben Ephson said even if that was the case, once elected, there was need for wide consultations with ex-executive members leading to broad-based decisions, but to insist on your powers and issue piecemeal directives in a party that ought to be uniting its front will give room for suspicion. He said election 2012 will not be an easy affair and the leaders have to learn and consult more, explaining that from what has been seen of them so far, they would not be able to lead the party to victory if there were elections in 2010. Luckily however, he said there is enough time for them to learn on the job and to consult. Story by Myjoyonline.com/Ghana