Elvis Darko, has highlighted the critical role of internal party loyalty and longstanding grassroots connections in determining who emerges as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) next flagbearer.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, the Editor of The Newscenta newspaper, emphasized that political pedigree within the party structure—not just technocratic competence—will be the most decisive factor in the race for leadership.
“This is an internal political election, and in terms of internal politics, there are dynamics you have to weigh carefully to determine your chances,” he explained.
Darko used the case of Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum to underscore his point, arguing that while Adutwum’s government record may be respectable, his limited connection to the NPP grassroots places him at a disadvantage.
“Dr. Adutwum, we all know, had not been in Ghana for a long time.
“He came in, won a parliamentary seat, and served in government.
“But if you want to be the flagbearer of a political party, you need to measure the level of your support—especially among MPs who are closely connected to the grassroots,” he noted.
He went further to question the Education Minister’s presence at the foundational level of the party’s political machinery.
“If you go to all the polling stations of the NPP, how many people has he directly impacted? When we talk about those who hold the party dear or are actively involved in party-building at the local level, I haven’t seen Adutwum’s name come up.”
