IMANI-Africa has advised Alan Kyerematen’s United Party Plus (UP Plus) to focus its early efforts on building strong local bases rather than relying solely on national visibility, warning that the party risks fading into irrelevance without deep grassroots engagement.
In its latest governance brief, IMANI stated that the fanfare surrounding the launch of UP Plus could have been more impactful had it been tied to specific regions where Akufo-Addo’s influence is strongest, such as the Ashanti Region.
“A national unveiling without localized roots risks being perceived as a top-down initiative lacking organic support,” the analysis noted.
The think tank suggested that UP Plus adopt what it described as a “beachhead strategy”, focusing resources on a handful of constituencies, cultivating polling station branches, and developing shadow MPs who remain active between elections.
“Only by sustaining presence at the grassroots can UP Plus erode the perception that Ghana’s politics is permanently locked into a two-party cycle,” it added.
IMANI warned that Ghana’s political history is littered with parties that once showed promise but disappeared after a single election.
“To survive, UP Plus must evolve from a rebranded movement into an institution,” it stressed, adding that endurance and organisation will determine whether the new party can truly become a credible third force.
