- Dr Jones Opoku-Ware, a criminologist and lecturer at KNUST, has delivered a scathing critique of the New Patriotic Party, describing it as politically weakened and internally fractured.
- He contrasted the NPP’s current state with the National Democratic Congress, which he views as more unified and enjoying public goodwill.
- Drawing historical parallels and citing recent political behavior, he urged the NPP to reassess its strategy, reconnect with disillusioned supporters, and stop mistreating its own members.
A political analyst and criminologist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has described the New Patriotic Party as being at one of its lowest points in recent history. According to Dr Jones Opoku-Ware, the party’s internal divisions, strategic missteps, and treatment of its own sympathizers have eroded its credibility and weakened its influence.
He drew comparisons to the early 2000s, when the NDC struggled to recover after losing power to the NPP under President Kufuor. Today, he argues, the roles have reversed. The NDC, now in power, appears more organized and enjoys a calm political atmosphere, while the NPP is grappling with internal conflict and declining public confidence.
Dr Opoku-Ware believes the NPP’s last four years in government disappointed many Ghanaians, especially those who had placed their hopes in the party during the 2016 elections. That disappointment, he says, still lingers and continues to affect the party’s ability to regain momentum.
He also criticized the NPP’s tendency to publicly attack its own members, including academics who once supported the party but have since distanced themselves due to verbal abuse and political backlash. He pointed to the party’s internal primaries as examples of how members turn on each other instead of focusing on external competition.
In contrast, he praised the NDC’s approach to internal unity, noting that the party tends to protect its members publicly and resolve disagreements privately. He urged the NPP to adopt a similar posture and to reflect on former President Kufuor’s advice to close ranks and rebuild trust.
According to Dr Opoku-Ware, the NPP must urgently assess its internal culture, reconnect with disillusioned supporters, and stop alienating those who once stood by the party. Without such introspection, he warns, the party risks long-term irrelevance.
