New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart and former presidential candidate, Dr. Kwabena Arthur Kennedy, says the party, long regarded as the doyen of democracy in Ghana, is losing its enviable democratic credentials.
According to him, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) decision to prioritise the election of a flagbearer ahead of broader internal reforms is anti-democratic.
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s current affairs programme The Big Issue on Saturday, 21 June 2025, Dr. Arthur Kennedy maintained that the move by the NPP NEC is self-serving and undemocratic.
He said he was disheartened by what he views as the deliberate manipulation of the party’s internal processes to benefit a select few.
“As usual, we seem to be acting in the interest of a small cabal, and it appears to me that this hurriedly concocted proposal is aimed at benefiting a certain small group of people,” he stated emphatically.
Dr. Arthur Kennedy warned that the actions and inactions of the NPP’s NEC are straying the party from its democratic ideals and risk damaging its reputation as a party committed to fairness and inclusion.
“I think that for a democratic party, and with the record we have, we seem to keep shooting ourselves in the foot. It seems as if the most democratic party in Ghana historically is becoming more and more anti-democratic,” he remarked.
The former presidential candidate also criticised the party’s lack of transparency in handling the findings of the committee set up to examine its 2024 electoral defeat.
“We lost an election, set up a committee to find out why we lost. When we get the report, we do not want to share it with the public, and we say there are only a few copies.
We have seen that some people who want to be candidates have access to the report. The leadership of the party is following one candidate around, and all of a sudden, we are hit with a date for selecting a flagbearer,” he noted.
The NEC of the NPP has announced that it will hold its national delegates’ conference on 31 January 2026 to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.
The decision, reached at the party’s recently held NEC meeting, has drawn criticism from several party stalwarts, who argue that it deviates from previous timelines and lacks broad internal consensus.
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Meanwhile, a coalition of 220 former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), who served under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2024, has publicly endorsed Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as their preferred candidate to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as its flagbearer in the 2028 general elections.
This strategic support reflects a significant backing from key local government figures within the party.
Addressing the media at a press conference held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Monday, June 23, 2025, the group, which described themself as the Forum of Former MMDCEs for Dr. Bawumia, announced their “strong, unshaken endorsement” of the 2024 NPP Presidential Candidate.
The group described its support as more than symbolic, stressing that it is a practical commitment of time, resources, and political effort to help secure Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy and eventual victory.
According to them, after extensive consultations with all aspirants and a thorough assessment of their competence and vision, they were convinced that Dr. Bawumia stood out as the most suitable leader for both the party and the country.
“Our endorsement is not merely symbolic; it is a strategic and operational commitment. With 95% of us having previously served as Constituency and Regional Executives, some for over 16 years, we possess an intimate understanding of the NPP’s structures, dynamics, and electoral needs.
We will deploy this experience to ensure Dr. Bawumia’s message resonates in every corner of Ghana,” they said.
They further pledged to mobilise their grassroots networks across all 16 regions of the country to support his campaign.
“We, the former MMDCEs, are not just endorsing, we are activating our networks. We will: Mobilise at the grassroots in all 16 regions, leveraging our deep-rooted connections. Engage in door-to-door campaigns, articulating Dr. Bawumia’s vision. Counter misinformation with facts about his achievements and potential. Resource the campaign through fundraising and logistical support,” they added.
