There is a seeming challenge facing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) today.
Some commentators who even call themselves founding fathers are even predicting an implosion.
Such people are preaching doom for the party but the loyal members are of the view that the doomsday prophets would fail. These carriers of “aforku nya” would be put to shame after November 4 when the new leader would give the direction of the party to ‘break the eight’.
The NPP would endure these challenges and prevail as the most formidable political party in the country.
Internal party contests energise the rank and file into action. And rather for some of the contestants including those who are running to the home of the butterfly looking at the contest as a do-or-die affair, they must use the opportunity to strengthen their base in the party.
Sad commentary though, but it appears some of the aspirants have abandoned engagements with the grassroots about how the party can ‘break the eight’ but rather find it convenient to attack the government.
A former MP for Obuasi East, Edward Michael Ennin, is said to have alleged that the government is selling houses valued at $1million for $400,000, and threatening to substantiate the claims at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Whistle blowers are welcome in a democracy but we certainly detest those who undermine our national integrity because of sour grapes. These are people who think that if their candidates would not win the contest then we must push the car into a ditch.
Again to them “É›bÉ› kor goal deÉ› enkor corner,” so the NPP has challenges ‘breaking the eight’ with the presumptive candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. We are more confused that many rank and file of the party who cannot come to terms with some of the candidates and their team members, now see the government as non-performing and are making wild claims against President Akufo-Addo.
The question is: assuming they win the primaries on November 4, what would be their campaign message next year? We have about a month to the primaries and those who the cap fit can make amends by desisting from the hate speech, lies and intemperate language.
The delegates will decide but we think even those barking on the campaign trail like “rabbied dogs” privately admire the character traits of Dr. Bawumia as humble and tolerant.
Such personalities when offered the chance to lead would be true servant leaders.
In order to tame loose talkatives on the political platforms for internal and national contests, there is the need for future candidates for MP and flagbearer to be evaluated to establish their state of mental health and emotional balance.
Recent developments on the political plane have made this an imperative. Political parties as vehicles for selecting presidents and MPs should do this as a means of obviating the kind of untoward conduct like the one exhibited by Francis Xavier Sosu at the Obra Spot in Accra last week.
It is worrying that now even the oath of secrecy is being breached at very sensitive committees such as those at the parliamentary levels. We need a code of conduct for all politicians now to sanitise the political landscape by putting in place measures that make a breach very unattractive.
If there is none now, the EC must put one in place and enforce it in order not to render it a paper tiger.
As the reference point for multi-party democracy, the time is ripe for Ghanaians to benefit for the dividends of voting. We urge the political class to lead the way to reassure the electorate that they are not simply being used as voting machines.
Dr. Bawumia symbolises a listening person whose tenure as President of the Republic, Ghanaians would join the chorus “biribi bÉ› si.”