The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has formally requested its members and identifiable groups to submit proposals for constitutional amendments ahead of an Extraordinary National Delegates Conference scheduled for July 2025.
However, the call has stirred frustration among some party members, who believe critical reflections from the party’s electoral defeat have yet to be addressed.
“The Party looks forward to receiving from its Members proposals for constitutional reforms adoption of which will result in the NPP having a Revised Constitution that addresses all the structural and other critical issues confronting the Party”
NPP
In a memorandum issued by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the party invoked Article 19(a) of its constitution as the basis for the request, urging stakeholders to send written proposals to the Office of the General Secretary or directly to the Constitutional Amendment Committee via email.
The deadline for all submissions is Friday, May 9, 2025.
The statement also revealed that an upcoming Extraordinary National Delegates Conference, framed under Article 10(2)(8) of the party’s constitution, is being convened in July specifically to consider the amendment proposals in the form of “motions for adoption.”
The leadership’s intent, according to the memo, is to position the party for structural reforms as it reorganizes ahead of future electoral cycles.
Yet, the request has drawn sharp criticism from some within the party, with calls for deeper introspection before any constitutional review.
Slammed for Skipping Diagnosis
Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, the Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, has publicly questioned the rationale behind the request for constitutional proposals without first sharing findings from the party’s post-election review process.
“Surprisingly, the same party – of which we are all integral members – charged a committee to investigate the reasons behind our electoral defeat.
“When the committee visited the Mpraeso Constituency, I had to rush down to meet with them and immediately return to Parliament to fulfil my duties. That’s how seriously I took the exercise”
Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, MP for Mpraeso
According to Hon. Opoku, the party commissioned an internal committee to investigate the causes of its electoral loss, but members have not been briefed on its conclusions.
Upon recalling the extraordinary efforts made to meet the party’s committee and the seriousness with which he regarded the process, Hon. Opoku lamented the failure of the party to share the committee’s report with members.
According to the NPP MP, this leaves a vacuum of facts on which any reforms could be meaningfully based.
“Now that the committee has completed its work, not even a communique has been issued to share the executive summary of its findings. Instead, are we being invited to submit proposals for constitutional amendments?”
Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, MP for Mpraeso
His remarks reflect growing unease within the NPP, as members struggle to reconcile the push for structural change with what they perceive as a lack of transparency and proper introspection.
“Proposals based on what data? On what facts? On what diagnosis?” he asked.
Party Unity Tested
The tension emerging from Hon. Opoku’s statement reveals a broader challenge facing the NPP as it seeks to chart a path forward following its defeat in the 2024 elections.
As Ghana’s political landscape shifts, parties are expected to conduct honest post-mortems. However, Hon. Opoku believes the NPP risks glossing over its wounds.
“The national party must take its members seriously. This is not how you recover from a humiliating defeat. We cannot pretend to fix the structure without first acknowledging what broke it”
Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, MP for Mpraeso
“If we fail to open up the sore and press it properly, it will not heal,” he added, warning that the party’s current approach may not yield the desired healing or reform.
As the July conference approaches, the party’s leadership will need to balance procedural reform with calls for genuine accountability.
The reaction from members like Hon. Opoku suggests that the path to unity and revival requires more than constitutional amendments, it demands clarity, truth, and trust.
“Let us get it right,” Hon. Opoku concluded.
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