As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) goes to the polls to elect its presidential flag candidate for the 2028 general election, the exercise once again draws national attention to the party’s long-established tradition of internal democracy.
Though formally an internal party affair, the primary carries wider implications for Ghana’s democratic culture, given the party’s history in governance and its role in shaping national political discourse.
From the beginning of the Fourth Republic, the NPP has relied on competitive, rules-based processes to select its presidential candidates.
In 1992, when the party elected Professor Albert Adu Boahen as its flagbearer, it signalled a clear commitment to democratic choice rather than imposition, even in a political climate still finding its democratic footing.
Professor Adu Boahen’s candidacy laid the foundation for a culture of internal contestation that has endured.
That tradition was reinforced in the lead-up to the 2000 elections, when John Agyekum Kufuor emerged as the party’s candidate after a competitive internal process.
His eventual victory at the national level marked Ghana’s first peaceful transfer of power between political parties, underscoring the link between strong internal party democracy and national democratic consolidation.
The selection of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the NPP’s flagbearer in 2008 further tested the party’s democratic resilience.
The contest was intense and, at moments, divisive, yet the party ultimately managed to reconcile differences and rally behind its chosen candidate.
Though electoral success came later, the process itself affirmed the NPP’s capacity to manage competition without fracturing its institutional integrity.
The Daily Graphic notes that the current presidential primary fits squarely within this historical pattern.
Campaigning has undoubtedly been spirited and, at times, acrimonious. Sharp exchanges, heightened emotions and partisan rhetoric have featured prominently.
While excesses must be discouraged, such tensions are not unfamiliar in competitive democratic processes.
What is critical is that they do not define the party beyond the contest itself.
As delegates cast their ballots, the greater test lies in how the party conducts itself after the results are declared.
The winner and his supporters must be magnanimous in victory, celebrating with modesty and restraint, conscious that triumph achieved through division ultimately weakens collective purpose.
Leadership, at this stage, demands humility and an inclusive spirit.
Conversely, those whose preferred candidates do not prevail must accept the outcome with grace.
Their efforts, mobilisation and advocacy have not been in vain. On the contrary, their active participation has helped deepen the party’s internal democracy and sharpen its political organisation.
A party that allows genuine competition emerges stronger, more credible and better prepared for national contestation.
The candidates themselves bear a particularly heavy responsibility.
By signing a peace pact ahead of the primary, they committed publicly to restraint, respect for the rules and acceptance of the outcome.
That pledge must guide their conduct before, during and after the polls. The quality of the party’s democracy depends largely on the example set by its leading figures. Inevitably, that conduct reflects on Ghana’s democratic culture as a whole.
We think institutional actors also have a critical role to play.
The Electoral Commission and the Ghana Police Service, charged with shepherding the process, must act with professionalism, neutrality and firmness.
Their effective performance will reinforce confidence in the process and demonstrate the capacity of state institutions to support democratic practice, even within party structures.
Equally important is the conduct of supporters. Political enthusiasm must not degenerate into disorder, intimidation or lawlessness.
Discipline and respect for the rules are essential to ensuring a peaceful and credible primary.
A successful exercise will be measured not only by who wins, but by how smoothly and transparently the process is conducted.
Ultimately, the NPP’s enduring strength has been its ability to compete vigorously and then unite purposefully.
Our expectation is that, that tradition is upheld, so that the party emerges from this primary not merely with a flagbearer, but with renewed institutional confidence—an outcome that serves not only the party, but Ghana’s democracy itself.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
