The New Patriotic Party (NPP) elders in the Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, have called on the regional and national leadership of the party to ensure that guidelines governing the ongoing registration exercise and subsequent internal elections were strictly followed.
They said no individual, regardless of past position or influence, had the authority to unilaterally impose procedures that contradicted the official guidelines of the party.
In a press conference at Tarkwa, where the elders were clad in red and black attire with some wearing red arm bands, Mr Kofi Asaah Narkaah, a former constituency secretary for Tarkwa Nsuaem, spoke on behalf of the group.
He expressed their concerns in relation to the ongoing membership registration exercise and preparations towards the election of polling station executives.
He indicated that as elders of this great party, many of them had dedicated decades of sacrifice, commitment, and personal resources to building and sustaining the NPP in the Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency.
Mr Narkaah said through difficult times and moments of great triumph, they had stood firmly with the party, working to expand its support base and strengthen its structures.
It was, therefore, deeply painful for them to observe the steady decline of the party in a constituency that once served as one of the strongholds of the NPP in the Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, he said.
The former consistency secretary said for many years, the NPP had enjoyed overwhelming support in Tarkwa-Nsuaem but recent electoral outcomes had clearly reflected a worrying downward trend.
“The party nearly lost the parliamentary seat in 2020 and, for the first time in the history of the Fourth Republic, lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections in the constituency in 2024. This decline did not occur in isolation,” he mentioned
It reflected a gradual departure from the principles that had always defined the NPP’s internal democracy, fairness, unity, and respect for the grassroots.
Mr Narkaah said “The side-lining of loyal party members, the erosion of inclusive decision-making and the weakening of the party’s grassroots structures has over time created frustration and disillusionment among many committed members.”
“It was against this background and out of a sense of responsibility to the sacrifices we have all made over the years that we, as elders of the party, find it necessary to speak out at this critical moment,” he said.
He recalled that following the party’s electoral defeat, the National Executive Committee and the National Council of the party issued clear guidelines to govern the registration of party members and the conduct of internal elections, beginning from the polling station level.
These guidelines, Mr Narkaah explained, were designed to restore credibility, transparency, and grassroots participation within the party, unfortunately, some developments in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency were raising serious concerns.
He said in several electoral areas within the constituency, dates, venues, and times for polling station meetings had not been properly announced, contrary to the requirements of the guidelines issued by the party.
Mr Narkaah added that, there were disturbing reports that official membership registers had not been handed over to the rightful electoral area coordinators and polling station chairmen because they were perceived not to align with certain individuals within the party.
He said equally worrying were reports that some of the registers had been distributed from private residences rather than through the recognised party structures, while in some instances coordinators had allegedly refused to release the registers for the registration of party members.
Most troubling were comments attributed to Mr George Mireku Duker, the former Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, which appeared to contradict the official guidelines issued by the national party, he stressed.
He emphasised that as elders of the party who had invested years of hard work and sacrifice into building the NPP in the constituency, they could not stand by unconcerned while actions that contributed to the weakening of the party were repeated.
Mr Narkaah indicated they would not allow the former MP and his aligned executive to handpick their preferred person as executives of the party.
He, however, urged the Constituency Executive Committee to assert its authority and leadership in managing the affairs of the party within the constituency, adding, the conduct of party organisational processes, had to remain within the authority of the constitutionally mandated party structures.
He appealed to all members of the NPP in Tarkwa Nsuaem including those who might have become discouraged in recent times to fully participate in the ongoing membership registration and organisational processes.
“Staying away would only deepen the challenges confronting the party, but the decisions taken now will determine whether the party rebuilds a strong, united, and democratic structure or deepens division and decline, Mr Narkaah said.
He reiterated that as elders who had stayed with the party for many years, they remained committed to protecting the principles, unity, and future of the NPP in Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency.
