Alan Kyerematen
The suspension of Alan supporters in the Northern region by the regional party leadership led by Alhaji Samba, does not reflect a party that wants to break the “8”.
If there’s no united NPP, there can be no NPP government in 2024.
The selective application of the party's code of conduct in the Northern region, smirks of bias, unfairness and vindictiveness.
The suspensions of Alhaji Ibrahim Kaleem (Regional communications member) and Dauda Jantuma (Electoral Area Coordinator) in the Northern region in less than 24 hours are a blatant attempt to victimize and intimidate the supporters of Alan Kyerematen in the Northern region.
The suspensions are reminiscent of the 2008 elections where many parliamentary candidates were arbitrarily disqualified because they were perceived to have supported Alan Kyerematen in the 2007 congress in Legon.
Note that a worse form of those arbitrary disqualification of parliamentary candidates happened in 2020 during the last general elections, hence the current situation where NPP lost 32 parliamentary seats, dropping from a majority of 169 seats in 2016 to the current 137, saved only by the lone independent from Fomena whom the party even bastardized before and during the elections.
This led to the NPP’s loss of a majority of its Parliamentary seats and led to the party’s subsequent defeat in the 2008 general elections.
It’s sad to say, that the regional leadership of the party in the Northern region led by Alhaji Samba, are committing the same mistakes, that led to the massive collapse of NPP’s majority in the 8th parliament.
The boldness of patriots in the North, standing up against the Northern regional leadership of the party is worth emulating across the regions, especially when the rules of the party are targeted against supporters of Alan Kyerematen.
To boldly put it, these actions of suspensions and threats, are breaking the NPP’s united front in our quest to break the “8”.
The language of threats and suspensions will not help the NPP to break the “8”.
THE WAY FORWARD FOR NPP TO BREAK THE “8”:
Fairness and firmness must be seen in the application of the party’s rules and regulations by the national and regional leadership.
(A) I have personally sighted videos of the MP’s of Tolon, Karaga and Yendi boldly campaigning for their preferred flagbearer aspirant.
(B) I have also listened to an audio of the Alhaji Mohammed Samba, the Northern regional chairman, making open declarations for his preferred Flagbearer aspirant.
(C) The deputy General Secretary, Nana Obiri Boahen in an interview, captured by the Daily Graphic on 30th November 2021, busily advocated for his preferred flagbearer aspirant of the party.
All these party leaders boldly came out to campaign for their preferred aspirant in direct contravention to the party’s code of conduct and yet the national leadership of the party has stayed silent.
This has led to a crisis of confidence in the leadership of the party.
Currently, the confidence of the grassroots is at an all-time low in the current leadership of the party.
The current suspensions of Alan supporters are similar to the several mistakes by the party leadership in handling the parliamentary primaries for the 2020 elections, that nearly resulted in the party’s loss in the just-ended elections.
It saddens me, that these same national and regional leaders are repeating the same mistakes and haven't learned the lessons of the 2008 general elections defeat.
The leadership of NPP never seem to learn, or that they are operating with a morbid hatred for one man, even to the destruction of the whole party.
The party’s national leadership will likely need to find creative ways to maximize our party’s numbers instead of resorting to suspensions and threats to reduce our numbers.
CONCLUSION:
Unity is the watchword for a party that seeks to win power for a third consecutive time.
NPP votes alone cannot win power in 2024, let alone a divided NPP.
NPP can't dismantle the “8”, with the unnecessary suspensions of supporters of Alan Kyerematen as it happened in 2007, and expect to remain united to win power in 2024.
This strategy of trying to threaten and suspend supporters of Alan Kyerematen will ultimately backfire.
It's interesting to note that the grassroots of the NPP, are very discerning and have always stood on the right side of history when it comes to the selection of who leads the party.
The NPP’s tradition of always rewarding long service and sacrifice will not change come 2023 flagbearership elections.
They discerning grassroots will choose a leader who can guarantee Unity and ensure a united front to break the “8”.