NPP cautions against endorsement

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned its executives to refrain from endorsing or campaigning for aspirants ahead of the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.

This was contained in a press release issued by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong. The caution comes on the back of a circulated video, in which Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, openly endorsed one of the party’s presidential hopefuls. “He has, however, been invited and engaged on the need to desist from such conduct,” the statement read.

Reacting to the incident, the leadership of the party said the act of endorsing or campaigning for candidates is contrary to the party’s code of conduct.

“It would be recalled that the National Council of the party, on July 27, 2021, issued a Code of Conduct for the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries. In line with Articles 2(3) and 2(4) of the party’s Constitution, the Code of Conduct seeks to foster the spirit of healthy intra-party contests by guaranteeing equal opportunity for all stakeholders,” the NPP scribe said in the statement.

Code of conduct

The statement added: “For emphasis, the Code of Conduct provides in Section 1 (f) that: Members, supporters, sympathisers of the party at all levels shall desist from using their public office or portfolio within or outside the party to promote the interest of any prospective presidential or parliamentary candidate in order to gain unfair political advantage”.

The statement further warned that “failure to comply with this directive, may lead to huge consequences and sanctions against such offending officer, member or prospective aspirant in line with the grievance procedures stipulated in the Code of Conduct”.

The NPP General Secretary emphasised that until the party duly opens nominations for presidential and parliamentary primaries, all prospective presidential and parliamentary aspirants are to desist from such acts.

The statement further explained that “the institution of these disciplinary measures is to avert the menace of internal party wrangling, and factionalism, which usually arise when party executives openly declare support for aspirants, thereby dividing the Party front in the lead-up to general elections.”

“It is also intended to avoid the repetition of the electoral misfortunes of our tradition in the 1979 and 2008 general elections which were linked to party officials openly leading the campaign of aspirants,” the statement added.

Mr Frimpong Kodua reaffirmed the commitment of the NPP national officers to enforce, to the letter, the code of conduct for the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.