National Democratic Congress (NDC) Director of Elections Mahdi Gibril has challenged claims of unity within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), asserting that the party remains deeply divided and disorganized despite adopting a bottom-up approach to internal elections.
According to Gibril, the NPP’s decision to elect its flagbearer prior to its constituency, regional, and national executives was billed as a strategy to harmonize its base, but the tactic has proven ineffective. He cautioned other political organizations against adopting the method, arguing that it served hidden interests rather than strengthening party cohesion.
“No political party should learn from the NPP on this bottom-up approach. The NPP claimed the bottom-up approach was to help unite the party. However, seven months down the line, we do not see the unity they spoke of. The party lacks leadership and structure. That bottom-up approach failed to work for them,” Gibril stated during an appearance on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM’s Frontline. “I don’t think any party will learn from this one. They cannot be united. Those who established this approach had their own agenda. They have succeeded in exploiting this approach, but it has had no major effect on the party.”
Gibril also dismissed self-commendations from NPP leadership regarding the peaceful conduct of their recent regional elections, describing such praise as amateurish. Speaking to host Kwabena Agyapong, he emphasized that organizing violence-free polls is a standard duty rather than an extraordinary achievement. He explained that tension naturally diminishes at higher organizational tiers, making smooth regional elections expected rather than noteworthy.
“It is a laughable statement for the NPP to seek commendation for the elections it organized. Anybody who speaks like that is an amateur politician. When parties go into reorganization, the branches and constituencies are usually the ones that generate heated exchanges and cases of misunderstanding, but the regional level does not necessarily generate any violence. The higher the elections, the less the tension,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana