Kwabena Frimpong, Deputy Protocol Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has raised serious concerns about proposals seeking to elect the party’s 2028 flagbearer before reconstituting its internal structures.
In an open letter addressed to the party’s National Chairman and General Secretary on Friday, May 16, Kwabena Frimpong cautioned that adopting a flagbearer-first approach could erode internal democracy and weaken the foundational structures of the party.
According to him, the NPP’s electoral strength has always stemmed from its grassroots polling stations, electoral areas, constituencies, regions, and ultimately the national leadership, emphasising that reversing this order would sideline the base and expose the party to manipulation and internal disunity.
Frimpong warned that choosing a flagbearer before electing party executives at all levels could lead to favouritism and the imposition of loyalists, eroding transparency in subsequent internal elections.
He noted that the flagbearer’s influence over unfinished structures would create a power imbalance, leading to divisions and loss of trust in the process.
Arguing further, he stated that electing party executives first would ensure proper checks and balances during the formation of key campaign structures like the national campaign team and manifesto committee. According to him, a balanced leadership structure fosters unity and avoids exclusionary politics driven by loyalty alone.
Open Letter To National Chairman & General Secretary
Dear Sir,
Subject: Let’s build a Stronger Party Before electing a Flagbearer: Why NPP Must Reject Top-Down Flagbearer First Proposals.
As a committed member of the New Patriotic Party and in my capacity as Deputy Protocol Director, I strongly oppose the proposal suggesting that the NPP should elect its flagbearer first before electing other internal party positions. This idea not only contradicts our long-standing democratic traditions but also threatens to erode the very foundation upon which our party was built — the grassroots.
– Undermining Grassroots Participation
The strength of the NPP lies in its vibrant and committed base, starting from the polling stations, through the electoral areas, constituencies, regions and the National. Our traditional approach to electing party officers from the bottom up ensures that the decision-making power begins with the grassroots. Electing a flagbearer first reverses this structure and effectively sidelines the voice of the grassroots, weakening the democratic spirit that underpins the NPP’s democratic principles of the party.
– Risk of Imposed Leadership
When a flagbearer is elected before the party’s base structures are fully formed or renewed, it opens the door for favouritism, manipulation, and potential imposition of preferred candidates on the rank-and-file. This top-down method creates a power imbalance, where the chosen flagbearer may unduly influence the selection of party executives at all other levels, who are perceived as his supporters eroding fairness and trust in the process. All prospective aspirants perceived to be anti the Flagbearer would be sidelined in the internal election, leading to more division in the party
– Conflicts of Interest and Internal Disunity
Historically, the NPP has avoided internal strife by allowing the party to rebuild its structures before choosing its Flagbearer. If we flip the order and select a flagbearer first, we risk deepening factionalism within the party, as aspirants may attempt to use their influence to install loyalists across various levels, rather than focusing on building a united and efficient party machinery.
– Institutional Precedent Matters
Our electoral tradition has always prioritised party organisation before presidential ambitions. This structure is not only time-tested but also designed to produce a well-prepared, organised, and united front. Changing the process arbitrarily, particularly to favour a few individuals, could set a dangerous precedent where party rules are bent for political convenience.
– Organizational Efficiency and Mobilization
A solid and legitimate executive base across all levels is necessary to mobilise effectively for any national election. Without elected local and regional executives, a flagbearer will lack the full support structure needed to launch a cohesive and effective campaign. Electing executives first ensures the flagbearer inherits a functional and representative party ready for battle.
– Electing Party Executives before the Flagbearer would enhance checks and balances
When the party executives are elected before the Flagbearer, there would be proper checks and balances when setting up the National Campaign team and Manifesto committee to avoid a one-sided team filled with only loyalists of the Flagbearer, but a United campaign team, even with members from the Flagbearer’s opposing teams.
Finally, as a proud member and servant of this great party, I believe it is in the best interest of the NPP to uphold its tradition of bottom-up leadership selection, which has been done from the formation of the party in 1992. We must resist attempts to centralise power and instead trust the structures that have guided us to four(4) presidential electoral victories time and time again. Let us continue to build the party from the grassroots, which would be strong, united, and prepared for the election 2028 before we choose our next Flagbearer, No one begins building a house by installing the roof before laying the foundation. To construct a solid house, you must start from the ground up, not top down.
Thank You.
Kwabena Frimpong
Deputy Protocol Director, NPP