Ex-Upper West Minister Cautions NPP: Victory in 2028 Won’t Be Bought
A former Upper West Regional Minister is warning that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) risks losing something far more valuable than cash if it keeps rewarding wealth over service in its internal elections: the loyalty of its own base.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih says the party’s growing tendency to hand executive positions to the highest bidder poses “an existential threat” as the NPP looks ahead to the 2028 general election. In a Facebook post, he argued that when money becomes the main qualification for leadership, the party itself is diminished, not enriched.
He pointed to three specific risks. Longtime organisers who’ve put in years of grassroots work are increasingly being pushed aside by wealthy newcomers with little track record of local service. Money, he said, can buy visibility, but it can’t buy real connection with ordinary voters. And no amount of cash can substitute for the strategic thinking, conflict resolution, and policy expertise the party actually needs to win.
Rather than simply criticising the trend, Dr Bin Salih laid out what he sees as the alternative: delegates should be evaluating aspirants on their ability to organise and outmanoeuvre political rivals, their track record of mobilising volunteers rather than buying support, the sacrifices they made during the party’s years in opposition, how well they listen to grassroots concerns, and their history of service at the local level.
His broader concern is one of identity. He believes the NPP’s traditional reputation for resilience, intellectual strength, and community-focused politics is being eroded by a culture where everything comes down to transactions. His call, ultimately, is for delegates, elders, and party stakeholders to choose character and competence over financial muscle, if the party wants to head into 2028 united and credible.
