The New Patriotic Party (NPP) could strengthen its internal cohesion ahead of the 2028 elections by making its presidential candidate the leader of the party instead of the national chairman, according to political analyst Dr. Samuel Afriyie.
Dr. Afriyie, a senior lecturer at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), believes the proposed change could help resolve leadership tensions that have at times arisen between the party’s flagbearer and its national executives.
He said placing both responsibilities under the presidential candidate could give the party a more unified direction and help restore confidence among supporters and the wider public.
“I think maybe they realized that it would be helpful to them. Because what I’ve realized with the NPP is that the NPP has an issue about the presidential candidate having a different direction and the party also have a direction,” Afriyie noted in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Asaase News.
The analyst, however, said the NPP must establish clear rules on how the proposed arrangement would operate, especially during periods when the party is not in government.
“The party must make it clear whether the presidential candidate will remain the leader of the party while in opposition,” he said.
He said the party should also determine how the role of party leader would interact with the office of the President if the flagbearer wins a general election, arguing that clearly defined responsibilities would help prevent disagreements between the party and government.
Dr. Afriyie further noted that giving the presidential candidate leadership of the party could come with greater financial and administrative demands.
He said the NPP would therefore have to consider alternative ways of funding and organising its operations.
The proposed constitutional reforms are expected to be tabled at the NPP’s national conference in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, alongside the election of new national executives.
Among the proposals is the return of the President to the National Steering Committee, as well as the creation of additional vice-chairperson positions at the national, regional and constituency levels.
The reforms would also establish deputy regional and constituency communication officer positions, while making the first, second and third vice-chairperson positions individually elected offices.
Another proposed change would allow all card-bearing members to participate as delegates in the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.
Information technology officers would also be added to the executive structures at the regional and constituency levels.
Dr. Afriyie urged the party to use the conference to settle internal differences and focus on rebuilding its image and public support.
He pointed to the referral of former government appointees to bodies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as an issue that has influenced public perceptions of the NPP.
“They also have to work on the issues arising from the current NDC government that are making the party look bad. That is something they need to address,” he said.
“You know, this is part of the NDC’s strategy, so the NPP also needs to find a way of responding to it. If all your appointees are being referred to the EOCO, the OSP, and other investigative bodies, it creates an impression that your people are also corrupt.”
“The ordinary Ghanaian may begin to see the party in that way. So, they have to reposition themselves properly and restore public confidence, so that Ghanaians can trust them and believe in what they intend to offer when they come back to power,” he added.
The analyst also encouraged delegates to select national leaders with the experience and organisational capacity needed to strengthen the NPP and prepare it for upcoming elections.
The proposed constitutional changes will be considered at the same conference where delegates are scheduled to elect the party’s new national executive officers.
