Dr. Richard Amoako Baah, lecturer of Political Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has indicated that bringing some of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) old and experienced members on board has its advantages and disadvantages.
He opined that these NPP big brains could add to the campaign however, they have been out of active politics for a while and that might cost the NPP. He argued that the terrain of politics has changed over the years and these big brains might cause a lot of trouble by saying the wrong things.
Dr. Richard Amoako Baah further indicated that the composition of the NPP National Campaign Committees is a reflection of the party’s complacency and inability to adapt to change. He opined that with a lot of old experienced folks, there is bound to be power tensions regarding whom to listen to or whose decision is the best.
He also specified that the party should have brought on board more new faces as there will be the need for new ideas regularly.
Meanwhile, Dr. Richard Baah is of the view that it will be difficult for the NPP to ‘break the eight’ with the current composition of the campaign committee. He stated that with a committee full of high intellects, there are bound to be conflicting ideas that will impede the party’s objectives.
He likened the current situation to the infamous Economic Management Team (EMT) that has some of the best brains in economics like the Vice President but failed regardless.
“They are all big guys in their own realm. It does not mean if you put all of them together…you will see wonders. It doesn’t necessarily mean that will happen. Let’s wait and see”.
Dr. Richard Amoako Baah
The Spokesperson of the flagbearer, Dr. Gideon Boako, further indicated that the Vice President will continue to play the dual responsibility of being the Vice President of the country and the flagbearer of the NPP until the National Campaign Committee comes up with a campaign plan for the Vice President to follow.
NPP’s New Game Plan
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) unveiled the composition of its National Campaign Committees which include the Campaign Advisory Committee, the Campaign Operations, the Campaign Chairman and Strategist, Campaign Management, and Electoral Affairs among a host of others.
The Campaign Advisory Committee, which is most important, featured both the Former President, H.E, J. A. Kuffour, and the incumbent President, H.E Akufo-Addo, all Members of the National Council of Elders of the NPP, and other experienced enthusiasts.
“The Vice President and the flagbearer is the chairman of the National Campaign that includes the National Chairman (of NPP), the General Secretary and all the sixteen regional Chairpersons. The National Chairman’s work is very huge and where he could be put and accorded the needed respect is to be part of the National Campaign Coordinating Committee”.
Mr. Haruna Mohammed, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, revealed that the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Stephen Ayensu Ntim, is seemingly playing an undescribed role in the Campaign Coordination Committee because his responsibilities as a National Chairman are demanding.
He stated that there are other party duties that the National Chairman has to attend to hence he is being placed in a position where he has free will to act as he sees fit.
The Deputy General Secretary clarified that the responsibility of the Campaign Advisory Committee is not to advise the flagbearer only but also every structure of the campaign when the need arises.
He disclosed that the advisory committee has been deliberately formed to meet the needs of the entire campaign in areas of operations, logistics, communication, and other related areas.
Dr. Gideon Boako, Spokesperson for the flagbearer, further stated that the vice President does not buy into the narrative of the NPP being divided into the Kuffour and Akufo-Addo factions. He asserted that the Vice President views both personalities as godfathers hence their presence on his campaign advisory committee.
Subsequently, Dr. Gideon Boako revealed that the campaign Advisory Committee is not a new phenomenon in the NPP. He stated that the incumbent President, H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo also had a campaign advisory committee.
He maintained that the Vice President feels privileged to have the opportunity to tap into the knowledge and experience of both the Former President and the incumbent President.
Conclusively, while the NPP has unveiled its campaign plan and trajectory toward the 2024 December election, Ghanaians are yet to hear from the National Democratic Congress caucus, what its plans for the election are.
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