Ego wars will destroy NPP before 2028 – Bright Philip Donkor cautions NPP flagbearer hopefuls

A media practitioner and political activist, Bright Philip Donkor, has called on all individuals eyeing the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s flagbearer slot, and their respective camps to end the growing internal tensions, aspersions, infighting, and factional hostilities that have engulfed the party following its defeat in the 2024 general elections.

In a statement, he cautioned that the NPP risks sinking further into political irrelevance if urgent steps were not taken to restore unity, discipline, and strategic focus within its ranks. “Fix your camps or forget 2028. The current ego wars, loose talk, and divisive posturing among would-be flagbearer and their camps will only destroy the party long before 2028 arrives. The escalating turf war among factions within the party, would only threaten to derail any chance of a political comeback in 2028,” portions of his statement read.

Political jostling

Mr. Donkor, who serves as the news editor of the Daily Statesman, acknowledged that political jostling was not unusual in the aftermath of electoral losses but it must be managed carefully to avoid hurting the party.

“What is happening now is very normal with politics everywhere, but that doesn’t mean the NPP must throw caution to the wind. Vacancies are opening up and there are competent people readying themselves or positioning their preferred candidates to fill them, but we in the NPP must be guided by the bigger goal of winning the 2028 elections,” he indicated.

He stressed that: “If power matters, then discipline matters more. Ghanaians are watching how the NPP conducts itself in opposition. Disunity only feeds the perception of chaos, and that’s not how you win back the trust of the Ghanaian people”.

“The internal elections for our next flagbearer must be a contest of vision, not vengeance. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing is disturbing. Camps are heated, insults are flying, and in the process, the very soul of our party is at risk,” Mr. Donkor stated.

Tidy up quickly

“It’s time to tidy up for 2028. The earlier the party unites and lays out a coherent path to renewal, the better its chances of bouncing back. Stop the infighting or sink further,” he appealed to aspirants and their loyalists.

He lamented the fact that the NPP’s defeat in 2024 had not yet inspired the sense of introspection, reform, and discipline necessary for a rebound.

“We just lost power. It should be a time for deep self-reflection and unity-building. But instead, we seem obsessed with blame games and power struggles. If we do not tidy up quickly, we will hand the NDC a smooth ride to victory in 2028,” he reiterated.

Unchecked factionalism

Mr. Donkor, who is also the Founder of the Briphildon Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, cited the historical example of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the year 2000 to illustrate the destructive effects of unchecked factionalism.

He recalled how the imposition of Prof. John Atta Mills on the NDC, combined with economic mismanagement and incumbency fatigue, made the party less attractive to voters and led to its defeat, paving the way for the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition to return to power after nearly three decades.

“Fast-forward to 2008, and again, a mixture of economic crisis, incumbency fatigue and internal divisions compelled a reluctant electorate to change government. The NPP lost power by the slimmest of margins in African presidential election history, and we know that factionalism played a big role in that outcome,” he stated.

He stressed that the story was no different in the 2024 elections. According to Mr. Donkor, factionalism once again contributed significantly to the NPP’s downfall. “It appeared as though one camp was saying, “Fine, you think you’ve won? Go ahead and do it on your own, we’ll watch.” While the other replied in kind, “We succeeded despite your strength. We don’t need your backing to win power. We’re just fine without you.”

He cautioned that while internal democracy and the pursuit of fair competition were important, they must be tempered by a sense of responsibility to the overarching aim of the party, which is to win power.

“All potential flagbearer candidates have a responsibility to ensure that the playing field is as level as possible. But in pushing for what they see to be fair, they should also allow their thinking to be influenced by the superior aims of the NPP, and see things in the broader context of the party’s collective interest,” he advised.

Useful reminder

Mr. Donkor pointed to the NPP’s electoral history as a reminder of what is at stake. He highlighted the party’s impressive victory in 2016, where it beat the NDC by nearly one million votes and secured 169 parliamentary seats against the NDC’s 106.

In contrast, he noted that while the NPP won the 2020 presidential election by a margin of about 500,000 votes, the parliamentary outcome was a stalemate, with both the NPP and NDC securing 137 seats each. The party’s majority in Parliament was only made possible by independent MP Amoako Asiamah joining the NPP caucus.

Turning to the 2024 elections, Mr. Donkor emphasised the steep decline in the NPP’s electoral fortunes. “In 2020, we had about 6.7 million presidential votes. But in 2024, that dropped drastically to 4,877,611. Meanwhile, the NDC’s votes increased from 6.2 million to 6,591,790, an appreciation of nearly 400,000 votes. We lost over 1.8 million votes,” he lamented.

Bigger picture

He urged the rank and file of the NPP to reflect deeply on these developments and embrace unity going forward. “The bigger picture must guide us all. If we want to return to power in 2028, we must work together, not as factions, but as a united party with a common mission, so that we can actualise our “Development in Freedom” motto,” he stated.

Mr. Donkor also called on all potential presidential hopefuls, party communicators, regional coordinators, and grassroots mobilizers to redirect their energy toward rebuilding public trust in the party, especially among floating voters, the youth, and first-time voters.

He appealed to the National Leadership and the Council of Elders of the NPP to step in with decisive leadership and enforce discipline across the rank and file. “Let us be reminded that the real political opponent is not among us. The real challenge is the NDC administration, and we cannot defeat them with a divided front. If we don’t position ourselves properly from now, the people will reject us again,” he warned.