NPP snubs Akufo-Addo and Kufuor
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected a proposal by former Presidents Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and John Agyekum Kufuor to postpone the party’s early national delegates conference.
According to information available to GhanaWeb, the NEC, during a meeting in Accra on Monday, July 14, 2025, turned down the proposal, meaning the scheduled conference will proceed as planned.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu—popularly known as Joe Wise—announced that 5,675 delegates are expected to participate in the two-day event, which will take place on Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19, 2025, at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
Speaking at a media briefing at the party’s headquarters in Accra, Osei-Owusu emphasized that all conference activities would be held at the stadium, with logistical and security arrangements well underway to ensure a smooth and incident-free event.
Addressing concerns over a recent COVID-19 case at the university, he assured the public that the party has implemented safety measures to protect attendees.
He stated that the primary focus of the conference is to deliberate on proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.
“The agenda is to consider amendments proposed by the Constitutional Review Committee. A 300-page document has already been circulated by the General Secretary to all regional and constituency branches,” he said.
“In addition, a 64-page summary has also been made available. However, all of this will be distilled into specific motions upon which delegates will vote.”
Reports indicate that the majority of NEC members, including regional chairpersons and MPs on the committee, were strongly opposed to the former presidents’ proposal.
One regional chairman, speaking to Kumasi Mail, revealed that 14 out of 16 regional chairpersons support the early congress.
“I’m a member of the regional chairmen’s caucus, and I can say on authority that 14 out of the 16 regional chairmen are in favour of holding the congress early. Only two oppose it,” he said.
He emphasized the need to elect a flagbearer by January 2026 to address disunity and the fallout from the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.
“Our party is in a state of crisis, grappling with disunity and internal power struggles. Electing a flagbearer early is the only way to restore order and unity,” he noted.
Referring to the Ablekuma North parliamentary re-run, the chairman pointed to the breakdown in party discipline.
“Look at what happened in Ablekuma North. The General Secretary, acting on the NEC’s instruction, announced that the party would not contest the re-run in 19 polling stations. Yet, our 2024 parliamentary candidate, Akua Afriyie, defied that and contested with support from some members of the party. That incident clearly shows how divided we are.”
An MP also confirmed broad support within Parliament for an early congress.
“In Parliament, we’ve agreed that early congress is the way forward. We lost the 2024 elections to the NDC by nearly two million votes. We can’t close that gap without early preparation and unity.”
The MP dismissed Akufo-Addo’s reported push to return to a top-down approach in selecting party executives.
“If such a proposal comes up, it won’t last 10 minutes in discussion. It will be rejected outright.”