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NPP flag
One of the important lessons from the NPP’s national delegates’ conference is that the party never encouraged, or saw instances or signals of, factional voting or management of the processes.
That was a major plus for the governing party that is determined to do everything possible to ensure that its members stay and work together to win a historic third consecutive electoral victory in the 2024 general elections.
Again, a major worry of the larger electorate and civil society, usually manifested in ‘monetisation’ of the processes, also appeared to be absent or minimal.
That, we believe, encouraged the delegates ‘to act in good faith’, and in what appeared to be the best interest of the party. At least, the reactions from the grassroots of the party appear to give a clear indication that they are satisfied with the outcome of the conference.
More importantly, it looks like the friendly atmosphere at the conference and composure of the delegates will make it smooth in reconciling the losers with the winners.
The foregoing observations offer ample evidence of the readiness of members of the party to stay and work together to develop and implement the strategies they need to ‘break the 8’.
Reaching out
With this show of determination, the newly-elected leaders should not waste time at all in reaching out to those who contested the elections with them. Because politics is about numbers, all aggrieved individuals and groups at all levels of the party must be identified and made to feel at home.
We believe among the immediate issues that need to be tackled is what the leadership of the Tertiary Students’ Confederacy(TESCON) considers as lack of respect, appreciation and recognition for the critical role the various groups play in campaigning for the party during elections.
We find it difficult to appreciate why the issue of voting at conferences by representatives of TESCON groups can be allowed to dampen the morale of this vital youth group of the party.
In a political environment that requires all hands to be on deck for 2024, it is advisable that the NPP moves quickly in reaching out to this critical students’ group that has rendered invaluable service to the party over the years.
TESCON members should not be made to feel that they are not as important as they were seen in the past because the current political terrain in some parts of the country is no longer as hostile as they used to be in the past.
Challenges
With the election of national executives over for the party, what is left is the most crucial of all the party’s internal elections, the selection of the 2024 presidential candidate.
Just as the party managed to elect leaders at all levels of its organisation without many unhealthy incidents, we believe the new leaders will lead the party to handle the congress to select the presidential candidate in the most transparent, fair and peaceful environment.
That will certainly be a sine qua non in sustaining the peace and unity the party is seeking to build at the moment.
At this stage, it is however important to stress the point that securing the unity of the party will not mean that the journey to warmer relations with the electorate would be easy.
Hope
The current high cost of living occasioned by the slump in global economies, arising out of the effects of Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, is generating gloom in already impoverished communities in the country.
It is therefore important for the party’s current crop of leaders to leverage on the confidence reposed in them to work effectively with appointees of the government to inspire hope in the electorate.
Appointees must be made to prove that they are innovating enough to ensure that the rebound vision is realised in positioning the party favourably for the 2024 electoral campaign.
It is a tall order that both party and government must work at, to help relieve citizens and bring back hope, as the government is challenged to ‘do some magic’ in fighting the effects of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.