Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a communications team member for Kennedy Agyapong’s flagbearer campaign, has cautioned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against what he describes as an unpopular top-down approach to internal party reforms.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, June 21, Dr. Boakye-Danquah disclosed that he had received numerous calls from grassroots members and party delegates who are dissatisfied with the current reform trajectory.
“In terms of my view of top to bottom, I have had a lot of calls from the grassroots of the party who are delegates, who have stated very clearly that this is a very unpopular decision,” he said.
He referenced the Mike Oquaye Committee report, which recommended a broadening of the party’s electoral college. According to Dr. Boakye-Danquah, if the resolutions of the committee are adopted at the upcoming Extraordinary Delegates Congress on July 19, then the reforms must allow former government appointees from the Kufuor and Akufo-Addo eras to participate in delegate voting.
“It will be key to ratify all those expansions—allowing former MMDCEs, former MPs, former CEOs, former Deputy CEOs, former Ministers, former Deputy Ministers… an opportunity to also vote,” he stated.
Dr. Boakye-Danquah warned that the current leadership’s preference for a swift, centralised decision-making process risks alienating the party’s base, especially with such limited time before the next internal elections.
“We don’t think that the top to bottom approach will be ideal because we have a very short time, and I think that it is important that they reconsider that decision,” he urged.
He also called for a full re-election of polling station executives to reflect the proposed expansion from five to seven officers per station, instead of simply adding two people to existing structures.
“There are supposed to be a key election of all polling station executives and not an addition of the already existing five and then you are adding two to it. Because then that will mean that you’re just keeping to the old album as it is,” Dr. Boakye-Danquah cautioned.
His comments come amid growing internal debate within the NPP over how best to reform the party structure ahead of the 2026 internal polls.
Dr. Boakye-Danquah’s concerns echoed those of former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, who had earlier cautioned the party against prioritising the flagbearer election over other critical internal contests. In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 18, Mr. Agyarko described the National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision as “strategically unsound, politically indefensible, and organisationally reckless,” warning that such a move could destabilise the party’s internal cohesion.
“I have followed with keen interest—and deep concern—the outcome of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Tuesday, 17th June 2025, in Accra, where it was announced that the party will hold polling station executive elections on 6th December 2025, followed by the flagbearer election on 31st January 2026, while deferring elections for electoral area coordinators, constituency, regional, and national executives to dates yet to be announced,” the statement read.
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Justin Frimpong Koduah has confirmed that the party will hold its presidential primaries on January 31, 2026.
This is after the National Council adopted a proposal from the constitution review committee.
However, Justin Frimpong Koduah clarified that the timing of the presidential primaries will not be subject to approval by the delegates conference, as the National Council has already exercised its mandate to approve it.
“The date for our presidential primaries is set for January 31, 2026. That will be the date that we shall hold our presidential primaries. Because there is going to be a proposal or motion for amendment of our constitution, a planning committee has been put in place,” he said.
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