Yaw Buaben Asamoa, a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporter, has claimed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has essentially seized control of the party.
According to the former NPP Communications Director, the president’s wants and preferences outweigh those of the party, rendering anyone who disagree with the president “useless” inside the party.
Asamoa’s words originate from his recent decision to endorse and campaign for independent presidential candidate Alan Kyerematen, along with three other senior NPP members, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, and Boniface Abubakar Saddique.
As a consequence of their actions, the NPP has formally expelled them from the party, citing their flagrant violation of the party’s Constitution.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda on Citi TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, Mr Asamoa expressed deep disappointment with the current state of the NPP, lamenting the stark contrast between the party he joined years ago and the one it has become today.
He attributed the party’s decline to rampant factionalism and the overbearing influence of the executive branch, led by President Akufo-Addo.
Asamoa decried the president’s dominance over the party, stating, “The NPP that I knew in the beginning is not the NPP that exists now. The party has become divided by heavy factionalism. Literally, it’s become divided by the executive. The government has taken over. The personality of the president is overbearing and he controls that party.”
He further emphasized the detrimental impact of the president’s control, declaring, “That means that if you don’t do the president’s [bidding] if you are not in the president’s good books, you are not useful to the party. That is the bottom line. That is what is happening.”
