Photo:Boakye Agyarko
A fierce internal storm is brewing in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) over a controversial plan to elect its 2028 presidential candidate before choosing party executives — a sharp break from the party’s proud grassroots tradition.
The proposal, described by critics as a political landmine, has triggered an avalanche of backlash from senior figures and party loyalists, who say it risks ripping apart the NPP’s base just when it should be rebuilding trust after it fell from power.
Dwamena Fires First Shot
Leading the charge is National Treasurer Dr. Charles Dwamena, who condemned the “top-down” approach as a “recipe for chaos.” In a candid interview on Peace FM, Dr. Dwamena blasted the move as “not just a process shift, but a principle breach,” warning:
“To alter it is to amputate the very limb that gives the party its footing.”
He denied claims that the National Council unanimously endorsed the proposal, insisting several key voices — including his — opposed it outright. He said the change could derail critical internal reforms, such as expanding the Electoral College and fixing broken grassroots structures.
‘Roof Before Foundation’ – Frimpong Warns
Kwabena Frimpong, Deputy Protocol Director, followed with a scathing open letter, dated May 16, likening the plan to “building a house by installing the roof before laying the foundation.”
“Choosing a flagbearer before electing party executives could lead to imposition and kill transparency,” he warned.
Agyarko and Boamah: Strategic Suicide
Former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko was even more blunt, calling the idea “strategically unsound, politically indefensible, and organisationally reckless.”
“You don’t crown a king without first building a kingdom,” he argued.
Patrick Yaw Boamah, MP for Okaikwei Central, also aimed, asking pointedly on Channel One TV:
“Those declaring to be flagbearers — what are we standing on?”
He urged the party to focus on healing internal cracks and cautioned that bypassing grassroots structures would only deepen voter apathy.
Kennedy Explodes
Firebrand former MP Kennedy Agyapong brought his usual blunt force to the debate during the June 21 Constituency Chairmen Conference:
“There is nothing wrong with the system. We created monsters, and now we want to crown new ones from the top again?”
He warned that a top-heavy selection process would only produce another power-drunk leadership disconnected from the base.
“Even the best flagbearer will fail in 2028 without strong grassroots.”
More Voices Join the Revolt
Former MP and 2024 flagbearer hopeful Francis Addai-Nimoh told Asaase Radio the timeline must not “undermine party structures.”
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah agreed, telling Citi Newsroom the proposal is “unpopular among party grassroots” and risks deepening disillusionment.
Party elder Lawyer K.K. Serbeh added:
“We’re not against early Congress. But we must fix the base first. The flagbearer needs strong roots to stand on.”
Crisis or Correction?
Now in opposition, many within the NPP see this as a make-or-break moment. Supporters of the bottom-up model argue that the party must return to its founding principles — democratic engagement from polling stations upward — to re-energise its fractured base and restore credibility ahead of 2028.
If the party leadership presses on with what critics are calling a “flagbearer-first folly”, it could deepen internal divisions — and leave the NPP unfit to take the fight to the NDC at the next polls.
The bottom line: fix the base, or face the backlash.
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