The Chairman of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hackman Owusu-Agyemang has bemoaned the current state of affairs within the party ahead of Saturday’s presidential primary.
Giving his opening address ahead of the Council of Elders’ meeting at the Alisa Hotel, Mr Owusu Agyemang candidly expressed his concern that the pursuit of personal interests may be overshadowing the shared goal of the party.
The NPP will on Saturday, November 4, select a flagbearer for the upcoming 2024 elections. The race has generated considerable excitement, with four prominent party members vying for the position.
In a statement that resonated with many within the party, Mr Owusu-Agyemang said, “Fellow patriots, taking a deeper look at our party today, I see a party which may be weaker by our attitude, our utterances and our disrespect for each other as well as our lack of discipline. I see a party sometimes with disputes and difficulties and acrimony.
“I see a party where members are refusing to work together for a common goal. We have allowed our selfish interests to override the common goal. I am not pointing fingers at any of us maybe we are all responsible. Fellow patriots, it has become clear that some deep personal interest and bitter political resentment might have reared their ugly heads, especially among all the presidential aspirants and their supporters.”
Mr Owusu-Agyemang, a veteran of Ghanaian politics and a former Member of Parliament for New Juaben North, emphasized the need for party members to remember the bigger picture of breaking the Eight.
He urged them to focus on the principles and values that have guided the NPP over the years, rather than personal ambitions.
He indicated that the race for the flagbearer position has, at times, generated passionate debates and disagreements within the party and among supporters of the presidential candidates but he called on all the presidential aspirants to eschew divisiveness and stay united after Saturday’s presidential primary.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is tipped to win Saturday’s presidential primary.
His closest contender is Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central. Also in the race for the flagbearership slot are former Minister for Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and former Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh.