The Chief of Staff of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s Campaign Team, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has cautioned that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could face internal divisions if it does not clearly define its leadership structure in the party’s constitution.
His remarks come as the NPP prepares to review proposed constitutional amendments, including changes aimed at settling the long-standing question of who should officially lead the party.
Under the party’s existing arrangement, the National Chairman is generally regarded as the leader whether the NPP is in government or in opposition.
However, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu believes that arrangement could create unnecessary disagreements, especially if the National Chairman and the party’s presidential candidate belong to different camps or support different interests.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, he said many party members have called for a clearer definition of the leadership role to avoid future disputes.
He explained that opinions within the party remain divided.
While some members want the presidential candidate to be formally recognised as the party’s leader, others prefer to maintain the current system without naming anyone in the constitution.
“We’ve had situations where the person who became the chairman may not have had the person who eventually became the presidential candidate as his candidate. So if you have such a situation, it’s a recipe for confusion and conflict in the party,” he said.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that many members already see the presidential candidate as the party’s leader in practice, even though the constitution does not expressly state so.
“We leave it as it had been without naming whoever, but the generality of the people recognise that the presidential candidate is effectively the leader of the party de facto. Or do we formalise it? I think the party will have to think through what is the most appropriate,” he added.
He said the leadership issue is one of several proposed constitutional amendments that delegates will consider at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference on September 19, 2026.
The conference will also elect new national officers to steer the affairs of the party.
