GAP-F assesses NPP’s first 5 months in opposition: “Loud Engine, No Traction”
The Ghana Academic Professional Forum (GAP-F) has delivered a mid-year assessment of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after its first five months in opposition, describing the party’s posture as “robust in Parliament but absent in policy”.
GAP-F has, therefore, cautioned that without a clear alternative agenda, the NPP risks irrelevance in the lead-up to the 2028 general elections.
Speaking at its maiden press conference in Accra on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Professor Isaac Boadi, the Forum’s Convener and Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), stated bluntly that, “The engine is loud, but there’s no traction. Five months gone, no plan, no pulse, no power, and still no blueprint for tomorrow. A score of 4.3 out of 10 isn’t opposition readiness—it’s strategic stalling.”
Why Assess a Party in Opposition?
Anticipating criticism over assessing a party outside of government, Prof. Boadi explained that opposition is a vital pillar of democratic accountability. “A strong opposition is not the enemy of democracy. It is a centering force, a guiding conscience. Assessing the NPP now isn’t premature, it’s necessary,” he noted.
According to Prof. Boadi, GAP-F adopted a five-month timeline to give the party reasonable space for internal reforms, reorganization, and strategy formation following its electoral defeat. “We’ve assessed opposition parties across the globe from the Republican Party in the U.S. to the Labour Party in the UK and the African National Congress in South Africa to provide a broader comparative context,” he added.
Scoring Framework and Evaluation Criteria
GAP-F’s assessment was based on a detailed scorecard using seven key criteria with assigned weightings totaling 100 points.
He explained that the assessment was based on seven key performance indicators. These included the reorganization of party structures, which was allocated 15 points, and public communication and engagement, also weighted at 15 points.
Policy alternatives and shadow cabinet activity were given 10 points, while the parliamentary oversight role carried the highest weight at 20 points. Public mobilization and outreach were assigned 10 points, just as alliances and stakeholder engagement also received 10 points. Lastly, fundraising and party sustainability were each evaluated with a weight of 10 points.
In each category, the NPP’s performance was analyzed in terms of achievements and weaknesses, with evidence drawn from documented events, press statements, parliamentary actions, and public campaigns between January and June 2025.
