IT MUST BE GHANA AND PARTY FIRST FOR THE TRUE NPP MEMBER

Only a few days ago, the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) predicted that Ghana may vote the National Democratic Congress in 2024.

That prediction, in our opinion, was based on the history of change over between the two main political parties from 1992 to date.

What that prediction, perhaps, failed, to look at was the fact that in 2008, for instance, it was the huge numbers of presidential aspirants that the then governing New Patriotic Party tolerated, rather than focusing on the larger picture in the interest of the party and the country, that caused it to lose the election.

The prediction may also have failed to take into account the fact that, in 2012, the NPP bounced back, and but for that controversial election, it would have recovered lost ground because of its track record of governance.

Little wonder that in 2016, the NPP soundly and roundly defeated the NDC, repeating that feat in 2020 on the back of its string of successes, despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Critical advice

Under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the ratings of the NPP globally and its image in the eyes of ordinary citizens here in Ghana is evidently favourable, and likely to impact positively in the 2024 presidential election.

We believe that is the critical message both the Minister of Information and the NPP National Communications Director are conveying when they advise party folk to focus on joining the President to work hard to implement his vision of radically transforming Ghana.

We equally believe that selling the NPP’s achievement to ordinary citizens to enable that cycle of change, which the opposition NDC would be basing its propaganda on, to fizzle and lose relevance is paramount.

2008 mistake

If the party would recall, it’s one of such acts of complacency that tolerated the floating of 17 odd flagbearer contestants at a time party unity and focus on the achievements of JA Kufuor and his appointees was required to boost the campaign and return the seat to another NPP candidate.

Though Yaw Buaben Asamoa and Oppong Nkrumah did not cite the 2008 mistake, we believe it is behind their call at this critical moment in the history of the NPP for members and supporters or factions and interest groups to take it easy in overstepping their boundaries.

At this crucial moment, the interest of the state and the party must remain paramount.

Restraint

As all party members would admit, the NPP has always been endowed with enough human resources to lead the country. Unfortunately, the party’s worry has been how to patiently and intelligently put that team and leaders together, going into electoral battles.

That is why we join the call by the Minister and the party spokesperson for restraint. More importantly, those with presidential ambitions must support the President to roll out his agenda, instead of muddying the grounds with an “us and them” campaign that would tend to inure, in the long run, to the benefit of the NDC.

We hope that all party members would understand the situation and work in unity in fighting this important leg of the battle to ensure a total defeat of the NDC in 2024.

It must be Ghana and the NPP first before any other interest. This should not be too much to ask.