UK-based legal scholar and political analyst, Prof. Joseph Freeman Danquah, has criticised the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision to hold its presidential primary on January 31, 2026, warning that the move risks deepening grassroots disillusionment and undermining internal party democracy.

In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight: Flawed Logic and Misplaced Priorities in the NPP’s January 31 Presidential Primaries Plan,” Prof. Danquah accuses the Party’s leadership—particularly Lawyer Frank Davies, Secretary to the Constitutional Amendment Committee—of advancing a decision that, while constitutional, is “logically inconsistent, strategically misguided, and dangerously disconnected from the party’s base.”

“We cannot build from the roof down,” Prof. Danquah stated. “Without a strong and inclusive base, the legitimacy of whoever emerges as flagbearer will be in jeopardy.”

At the core of Danquah’s critique is the timing and sequencing of internal reforms. He argues that prioritising the flagbearer election ahead of expanding the polling station executives—the grassroots foundation of the party’s electoral college—is a recipe for internal fragmentation.

“The base is not a technicality. It’s the heart of the party,” he insists. “If the electoral college is drawn from outdated structures, then the entire process becomes exclusionary and suspect.”

While the NPP’s leadership maintains that the flagbearer election is a standalone constitutional exercise, Danquah says that logic ignores the political reality: delegates—primarily polling station executives—must be genuinely representative for the outcome to be accepted party-wide.

The legal scholar also debunks claims that there is insufficient time to expand the party’s base before January 2026. He points to the upcoming National Delegates Conference on July 19, 2025, as the ideal moment to approve the expansion of polling station executives from five to seven. He then outlines a viable path: hold grassroots elections between August and September, and proceed with a legitimate and representative flagbearer election in January 2026.

“The NPP has conducted polling station elections nationwide within two months before. This is not a matter of capacity—it’s a matter of political will,” he argues.

Danquah further criticises the apparent double standard in expanding the presidential electoral college to include former MPs, ministers, MMDCEs, and party elders, while simultaneously delaying polling station-level reforms.

“How can you claim to promote inclusiveness while ignoring the actual lifeblood of the party?” he asks. “This kind of top-heavy elitism will only widen the trust gap.”

He also dismisses the popular argument that electing a flagbearer early will reduce factionalism and promote unity. Rather, Danquah warns that electing a leader through an outdated structure will alienate key segments of the party’s base—especially in the wake of the party’s 2024 electoral defeat.

“Unity cannot be imposed from the top. You don’t heal apathy by silencing the base,” he writes. “Let us not sacrifice long-term unity for short-term convenience. If we are truly serious about re-energising the NPP, we must empower the base before selecting a leader to carry the flag.”
AM/KA

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