The former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has advised the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to detach itself from the grassroots since doing so will destroy the democratic tradition of the party.

He challenged them to uphold the tradition and not abandon it.

The former President gave the advice in a goodwill message to the NPP at its National Delegates Conference held in Kumasi on December 19, 2021 and also urged the leadership to ensure reconciliation among the rank and file of the party.

“With peace, unity, dedication, determination and committed fellowship, the party and the government’s attractiveness will be urgently restored and deepened to sustain the government towards the year 2024,” he stated.

Former President Kufuor urged the party headquarters to urgently equip itself with a professional strategic team to ensure its opponents did not outsmart the party in the current battle of wits to break the eight-year political party rule.

He encouraged all party faithfuls, well-wishers and sympathisers to resolve “unshakably” to uphold and live by the tenets of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition of constitutionalism, democracy, rule of law, good governance, respect for human rights, freedom of thought and expression in development and private initiative.

“The golden rule of ‘each is our brother’s keeper’ must undergird these tenets, supporters and members of the party must pray for God’s guidance and protection for the government in discharging its responsibility to the nation,” former President Kufuor implored.

2024 will be about 16 years former President Kufuor and former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama ceased to be the face of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr Muhammadu Bawumia, became the face of the party.

After 16 years, many members of the great Osono Party think it is time to hit the refresh button and present a new and a fresh countenance of the party to the people of Ghana.

Others think that changing for a new face may accentuate the propaganda that the elephant’s party adores and places only Akans as presidential candidates. 

But, for many, it is about winning elections and breaking the eight than about merely satisfying a narrative of making a Northerner or Upper Region member a presidential candidate at all cost.

In the face of this reality, the party needs a candidate who is capable of uniting members and leading it to deliver electoral victory bearing in mind how Ghanaians no longer trust politicians and political parties.

This is why a combination of factors needs consideration to anoint a new face that brings not just refreshing hope to the people, but, more importantly, is capable of delivering reliable leadership to the party and nation.

Reliable leadership is about the most important factor because the 2024 elections is about who the people can trust more; who is more credible and trustworthy to win the hearts of the people.

“What the party has always been concerned about is who is capable of winning the next election than where one comes from. The prevailing dynamics of Ghana’s politics, the credibility of individual presidential aspirants and what the people generally are looking for in the next presidential candidates are thus the deciding factors,” Former General Secretary of the party, Nana Ohene Ntow, observed after the Kumasi conference.