Leadership of NPP Should NOT Tolerate Sole Proprietorship and Monopolism At The Constituency Level: Razak Kojo Opoku Writes
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 general elections has started preparing by electing executives from the polling stations up to the national level.
To cross over the 8 cycle curse requires fewer and more manageable acrimonious issues, especially at the constituency level of the party. For the purpose of getting more seats in Parliament, it is very imperative for the party’s leadership to be firm, impartial and completely shut down any form of monopolism and sole proprietorship in the various constituencies. Unfortunate instances, which are mostly caused by some sitting Members of Parliament, who may be afraid of competition and competitive contests, should be a prime concern to the party leadership at this material moment.
Absolutely no Member of Parliament has the right to monopolize the Constituency for his or her own advantage. Political parties are not formed on the basis of a sole proprietorship. Let’s allow people to contest without any form of obstacles, deliberate impediments and Court frustrations(unnecessary injunctions).
There are some outstanding Constituencies without Executives election due to the unnecessary Court injunctions by perceived supporters of sitting Members of Parliament or by their opponents in those Constituencies.
One thing that has to be clearly stated is that, no Member of Parliament has the absolute monopoly over any Constituency. Constituency is not a sole proprietorship enterprise.
Also, it is important for the party to consider creating the enabling political environment for most of their vibrant youth who are good at communicating and defending party and government policies, programmes and achievements to contest as 2024 Parliamentary candidates and exponentially increase our seats in the House.
As a party, we have done it before and we can do it again! We need that resilience and determination to address some of the issues which are affecting us negatively as a formidable party.
Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere Darko was making a statement to the effect that, for NPP to break the 8-year cycle, the party should present a Presidential candidate who has the confidence and eloquence to defend the NPP records. That is true. however, it is equally important and politically relevant that the NPP also present Parliamentary candidates who have the confidence, eloquence and grassroots mobilization skills to champion the achievements and the success stories of Akufo-Addo’s government and Kufuor’s government to Ghanaians in the various constituencies. This will help to complement the efforts of the Presidential candidate and the Party’s communication machinery.
An eloquent and confident Presidential candidate pairing with ineloquent, unexpressive, unvocal or inarticulate, self-distrustful and self-doubting Parliamentary candidates will NEVER produce any meaningful desired results that we all are looking for, that is winning the 2024 general elections.
Since the likes of vibrant, eloquent and well-articulated Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and others will not be seeking re-election in 2024, let’s encourage the following vibrant and eloquent Party’s communicators *who have never been to Parliament* to go to Parliament in order to beef up the communication machinery of NPP in Parliament especially at various committees of Parliament:
1. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid(PhD)
2. Samuel Awuku
3. Kamal-Deen Abdulai
4. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah
5. Eugene Arhin
6. Akosua Manu kozie
7. Herbert Krapa
8. Mike Oquaye Junior
9. Others who are doing well to support the Party’s and Government’s communication machinery.
The only sitting Member of Parliament who deserves an unopposed contest is the Fomena MP, Hon. Andrew Asiamah Amoako. He saved us from the dilemma of the 137:137 ratio and it is essential that we reward him with such great political generosity.