9 major highlights of 2021 NPP National Delegates Conference

NPP defers proposal to amend constitution

Bawumia ‘shades’ NDC over 2020 election petition

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the weekend held its 2021 edition of the party’s National annual delegates conference at Heroes Park in Kumasi.

The event was hosted under the theme ‘NPP: Our Resolve, Our Determination and Commitment to Ghana’s Development’ and graced by party stalwarts.

A total of over 8,000 delegates turned up in their numbers to consider over 91 proposals submitted to amend the party’s constitution, however, that could not eventually happen.

Key amongst the proposals which sharply divided opinions was the proposal to elect the flagbearer of the party 2 clear years ahead of the general elections in 2024.

Here are 9 key highlights of the delegates conference

NPP defers proposal to amend constitution

The NPP deferred the proposal to amend certain portions of its constitution which was the main itinerary on the day to the party’s national council.

Chairman of the NPP Constitution Review Committee, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, indicated that the body, after consultations, believed that the 91 proposed amendments should be referred to the national council to setup a legal subcommittee for advice where the proponents may be invited to appear before it to advance their case.

It is unclear when the national council will commence its work.

NPP cut short NDC’ speech

The National Democratic Congress’ delegation to the NPP’s conference were not allowed to conclude their solidarity message as the Master of Ceremonies interrupted.

Kwame Zu, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, began his speech with good wishes for their political rival NPP before taking a swipe at the party for imposing hardship on Ghanaians by trying to impose the controversial e-levy to add to their woes.

Kwame Zu’s concluding part of his message was however not audible as the MCs of the event, Former Minister of Tourism, Catherine Afeku, and National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye, prevented him from doing so.

He was attempting to hail John Mahama as the candidate who would win the 2024 general elections, but the MCs stepped in and prevented him from finishing it.

Chairman Wontumi makes bold comparison between Ghana, USA and UK

Ashanti regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, suggested in his address to the party delegates that the country under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo was better than the United States of America and United Kingdom.

“Now I can say that Ghana is better than the United Kingdom and United States because of the good policies our president and government is giving to Ghanaians,” he said.

Akufo-Addo jabs Bagbin, others over ‘no majority in parliament’ comments

Taking his turn to address the party delegates, President Akufo-Addo took a dig at Speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin, and other personalities over utterances on which party forms the majority in parliament.

Alban Bagbin has on two occasions averred that there is no majority in the current 8th parliament which has both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) having 137 MPs each with one independent who has chosen to do business with the NPP side of the House.

But the president thinks otherwise.

“A lot of people are making a lot of noise that there’s no majority party in Ghana. The standing orders of our parliament don’t talk about majority party, it talks about majority grouping… majority group and we [NPP] are that majority group in Parliament in Ghana,” he emphasized.

President calls for unity ahead of 2024 elections

The President again entreated the party faithful to eschew conducts that will derail it from breaking the 8-year power cycle jinx.

He called for unity amongst party members as it forges ahead into the 2024 general elections.

“We cannot avoid competition. Competition, there will be but let that competition help the party and not hinder the party so that we can break the 8 in 2024,” the president said.

“The 2024 election is for us to lose”, he added, but noted that victory can only come “if we conduct ourselves well, we remain united and we have a level playing field.”

Bawumia mocks NDC over 2020 election

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, also speaking at the event, fired shots at the NDC over their decision to challenge the outcome of the 2020 elections which saw President Akufo-Addo emerge victorious.

He described the NDC’s petition to the Supreme Court as fundamentally incompetent

“When Asiedu Nketia went to the Supreme Court, he was asked where is your evidence, where are your pink sheets, Asiedu Nketia said and I paraphrase him, My Lords the pink sheets are not there. Then why are you here? he said ‘my Lord we are not here to challenge the results’.

“Their election petition was fundamentally incompetent. The bottom line is that they had no evidence to challenge our victory notwithstanding all the noise they made to deceive their supporters.” he said amidst laughter.

Bawumia supporters go haywire

Supporters of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia could not sit in their seats when the Vice President mounted the platform to deliver his speech.

For more than three minutes, MCs of the event had a hard time in controlling the crowd.

The supporters hailed the Veep with appellations and chants as they defied COVID-19 protocols.

Dr Bawumia is one of many persons believed to be interested in the flagbearership of the party.

Majority Leader urges party to retain incumbent MPs ahead of 2024 elections

Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also tasked the NPP particularly it constituency base to retain incumbent MPs as it gears up for the 2024 elections.

The Suame MP lamented the loss of some experienced MPs in the current 8th Parliament in the 2020 general elections.

He thus proposed that the party should strive to maintain its experienced MPs in the ensuing party primaries.

“I would want to propose to the party that the constituencies should be encouraged to the largest extent possible to adopt the incumbent Members of Parliament, as any free for all election that is not guided or guarded will take over our great party,” he warned.

CPP begs Akufo-Addo to return confiscated properties after 1966 coup

The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) also pleaded with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to return the party’s properties which were seized following the coup in 1966 that saw the ousting of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of CPP.

Delivering the CPP’s solidarity message to the NPP, General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, stated the president must return the assets as a form of reconciliation.

“We at the Conversation Peoples Party want to take the opportunity today to plead with the President His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to return to the CPP our asserts which was confiscated in 1966 after the coup…it has to be returned to us as a form of reparation…as a form of reconciliation.

“We want to put on notice that the building that is housing the Ministry of Information used to be our headquarters and this headquarters was built by the toil of the rank and file of the party especially the market women who are the foundation and support for the Convention Peoples Party,” she said.