Political scientist Dr. Richard Amoako Baah has criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for dismissing key members who have openly supported an independent presidential candidate ahead of the 2024 elections.
Dr. Baah, himself a member of the NPP argued that the party’s focus on adhering to its laws might not always be the best approach.
Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on November 20, 2023, he emphasized the importance of attracting more members to secure electoral victory.
He stated that the dismissal of party members with diverse opinions sends the wrong message.
“Nobody says that if you’re not talking to my friend, then it means we also don’t talk, and the fact that people still talk to Alan [Kyerematen] doesn’t mean that they have stopped supporting the NPP or him,” he said.
He stressed that the party should respect the diverse opinions of its members, as voters often base their decisions on personal preferences.
“The party is all about numbers, and Kyerematen was an NPP member, so by all means, people will follow him because of the relationship they share with him.”
He added “There are a lot of people who vote ‘skirt and blouse.’ Some individuals do not vote for our president because they dislike him, but they will still vote for the parliamentary candidate of the party, and this scenario occurs frequently. So, why would they act as if they haven’t seen such a thing before?
“It is surprising that when they become party officials, they tend to forget where they’ve come from.
“The party is all about numbers, and if anybody offends the party, then it means they will sack the person or what? It will get to a time where it will be left with only the elected officials; it is not good to do that, we don’t run the party this way.”
According to a statement by the party, dated November 20, 2023, and signed by its General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique, and Yaw Buaben Asamoa having publicly endorsed the candidature of a person other than the party’s duly elected presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and as a results they have automatically forfeited their membership of the party.
Source: ghanaweb.com
