The former National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Crabbe, has launched a stinging critique of the NPP General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, accusing him of compromising the party’s internal justice system over his attempt to expel Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng from the party.
He argued that the General Secretary’s public handling of Professor Frimpong-Boateng’s recent criticisms of the party has effectively turned a disciplinary referral into a pre-ordained execution. According to Crabbe, by announcing a desire for expulsion before any committee has sat, the party leadership is proving the very point the Professor made about the erosion of the party’s core values.
“It seems to me that the letter that was issued and the interview I heard from the General Secretary goes to actually validate what he (Prof. Frimpong Boateng) has been saying.
“First of all, if he has done anything contrary to our laws, as a General Secretary, you are a man of authority and you stand as a ‘party’. You do not pronounce the outcome. You do not say that you are sending the guy to the National Disciplinary Committee or NEC for him to be expelled, but that is what is in the letter”
Sammy Crabbe, Former National Vice Chairman of the NPP
The fallout follows a statement from the General Secretary’s office describing Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s recent media interview as “highly reprehensible,” and announcing that constitutional processes had been triggered to remove him from the party. The former Environment Minister, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng had suggested that the NPP no longer reflects the principles of integrity and discipline that once defined its tradition.
Adding up to Sammy Crabbe’s concerns, the former Vice Chairman noted that the role of the General Secretary is to serve as a neutral administrator of the party’s laws, not a judge and jury.
He maintained that the language used in the official party statement amounts to an instruction to the National Disciplinary Committee, thereby stripping the body of its independence.
Systemic Weakness Exposed
Crabbe argued that for a fair trial to occur, the accused must be presumed innocent until the committee conducts an impartial inquiry and submits its report. Instead, Crabbe contended that the General Secretary has bypassed the procedural safeguards enshrined in the NPP constitution.
By publicly labeling the Professor’s conduct as inconsistent with party unity and demanding his exit, the leadership has allegedly created a hostile environment where no committee member can feel free to reach a contrary conclusion.
“Under the party’s constitution, the role of the disciplinary committee is to independently investigate the matter, conduct an impartial inquiry and submit a report with its findings and reasons. However, by appearing to reach a conclusion before the committee’s work, the General Secretary has effectively validated Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s argument”
Sammy Crabbe, Former National Vice Chairman of the NPP
The confrontation highlights a growing rift within the party’s old guard and its current executive leadership. While the party’s statement focused on “unity and integrity,” Crabbe suggests that the real threat to the party’s image is the appearance of a compromised disciplinary process.
He warned that if the party continues to “pronounce the outcome” before following its own laws, it will lose the moral authority to govern its members or the country.
Crabbe’s intervention places the National Disciplinary Committee in a difficult position. The committee is now tasked with investigating a man whom the highest administrative office of the party has already condemned as a pariah.
The conclusion drawn by the former Vice Chairman is that the NPP must return to the rule of law if it hopes to survive the current internal friction. Without an independent justice system, he warns, the party risks confirming the narrative that it has indeed lost its way.
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