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A former Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu-Gyan, has called for massive reforms in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to build a strong, robust and united party to recapture power in 2028.
He said it was crucial for the party to elect winnable party machinery, particularly a flag bearer capable of winning power.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Adu-Gyan, who served in former President Akufo-Addo’s administration made some proposals ahead of the party’s national delegates conference which is scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025 at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra.
He cautioned the party not to rush to elect its flag bearer, but resolve the party's internal challenges, saying, "let's fix our tattered flag before electing someone as its bearer."
On the proposal, he underscored the need for the party to expand the membership of the electoral college to include all qualified members as defined by the party’s constitution.
Mr Adu-Gyan explained that the qualified members would include persons who had served in various positions, offices, committees, appointees, Members of Parliament (MPs), Presidential candidates and organs of the party since 1992 and owe allegiance to the party.
He also called for the inclusion of NPP assembly members, diaspora, TESCON/TESCONA, patrons and council of elders and paid-up members who do not belong to any of the categories defined to be included in the party’s electoral college.
Mr Adu Gyan, who is also a former regional Chairman of the erstwhile Brong Ahafo Region, was of the view that the current electoral college should be used for the election of the flag bearer and party executives from the national to polling station levels.
He stated that it was possible for voters at the party's Special Annual Delegates Conference to elect officers of the party, from Constituency to National levels at the same time, on the same day.
Mr Adu-Gyan said the NPP Constitution of 1992, amended in 1998, 2009 and 2017, had undergone tremendous changes to accommodate the growth and diversity of membership.
He said the issues of disagreements and tensions relating to leadership, membership rights and internal elections were at their apogee.
Mr Adu-Gyan, who is a founder member of the NPP, said some aspects of the party’s constitution did not reflect social realities and political needs of the day.
That, according to him, had become necessary to amend provisions that were inadequate to meet the evolving political landscape of the day.
On the issue of the top-down approach, Mr Adu-Gyan expressed his disagreement with the decision to elect a flag bearer in January next year, ahead of the election of a new crop of party executives.
Describing the decision as "unfortunate", he cautioned that the NPP would break down, if the party proceeded with the top-down approach.
In his view, the party should consider the early election of new executives from national to polling station by December, one year before the end of their term of office.
“If the party’s constitution sometimes gives room for a year to be added to their term, then it shouldn’t also be difficult to take one year off from them.”
“The party must build its structures, and I also believe that there is an urgent need for strong, dynamic leadership to hold everyone together in these trying times in our history,” he said.
