Politics is as fluid as soccer, don’t pick a flagbearer two years early – Arthur Kennedy warns NPP
Senior New Patriotic Party (NPP) figure, Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, has made a bold case for comprehensive electoral reforms within the party, calling on leadership to move beyond the search for a so-called “unifying candidate” and instead empower the grassroots through inclusive and accountable primaries.
In a powerful open letter, Dr. Kennedy argued that the future of the NPP does not rest solely on selecting a single flagbearer, but rather on strengthening the entire party structure—from polling station executives to regional leaders—to ensure victory in both presidential and parliamentary elections.
“Our party cannot just focus on the selection of one great unifying candidate—assuming he or she exists,” he wrote. “It needs polling station and constituency leaders who can help us elect a parliamentary majority.”
He proposed a bold new approach to party primaries—one that includes all registered voters who express support or affiliation with the NPP.
Drawing on the party’s existing database and the Electoral Commission’s records, he suggested that Ghanaians be allowed to declare party allegiance within a given timeframe and vote in primary elections accordingly.
“All those who indicate affiliation or sympathy to a party must vote in its primaries to select MP candidates and a Presidential candidate.”
Dr. Kennedy also criticized the decision to choose a presidential candidate as early as January 2026, arguing that such long-range selection is unwise and out of touch with the fluid nature of modern politics.
“Nobody would pick our World Cup team a year in advance. Why would anyone pick our Presidential candidate more than two years in advance when politics is as fluid as soccer?”
He challenged the party to trust the electorate not only during national elections but also during internal primaries, calling for greater openness, competition, and accountability.
“Why do we trust voters in general elections and fear them in primaries? Let those who would be President show they have ideas that will not be exposed by the fundamentals. Let the masses vote. The ultimate mandate is theirs.”
Looking ahead to 2028, Dr. Kennedy predicted that the next election would be fought on the theme of “Democratic Accountability”, and warned that both major parties would be judged harshly by voters if they fail to meet expectations.
“2028 will be about Democratic Accountability. It will judge the NDC on whether it has delivered on its accountability and resetting mandate. And voters will punish it for a business-as-usual governance.”
As for the NPP, he urged the party to embrace renewal by moving away from those responsible for the 2024 defeat and embracing new ideas, humility, and leadership.
“We should lean on the ‘NEW’ in our name and look for new humility, new ideas, and new people to lead us.”
He ended his letter with an optimistic vision for the party’s revival:
“If we do, Mahama’s NPP voters—all 20% of them—will come home, with enough NDC members to take us to Jubilee House with a new President who will bring along a Parliamentary majority.”
