The outspoken NPP Former Constituency Youth Organizer for Kintampo North, Hon Joseph Nanga Nyindam, known in politics as Mutumina, has advised the leadership and members of the New Patriotic Party to learn lessons from the struggles for polical power by the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition since it was formed.
History tells us that, the struggle of the tradition from United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) which won only three seats in the Legislative Assembly in 1951 against CPP, which won 34 out of the 38 Seats.
Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia-led Ghana Congress Party in 1952 which won only one seat in the 1954 legislative Assembly elections.
The Northern People’s Party (NPP) was formed on 11th April 1954 and won 15 out of the 104 seats with CPP 72 seats.
National Liberation Movement was formed on 19th September 1954 by Baffour Akoto as founder and JB Danquah as Leader. The NLM won 12 out of 104 seats, Northern People’s Party won 15 seats and CPP 71 seats in the 1956 Elections.
The struggles continued after the merger to form United Party (UP) with NPP, NLM, Muslim Association Party (MAP) and other parties.
The United Party (UP) couldn’t win the 1960 presidential elections with JB Danquah as the Flagbearer who only pulled 11% against Kwame Nkrumah 89% because the CPP was more United for a purpose and was focused.
We saw power as a tradition in 1969 when we rallied support strongly behind K. A. Busia-led Progress Party (PP) to win 105 out 140 seats, which made Progress Party formed a government for the first time in our Political tradition. K.A. Busia was elected as the Prime Minister and Edward Akufu Addo JSC as the president until 1972.
When our front divided in 1979 with Victor Owusu leading the Popular front party (PFP) and a break away party, United National Convention (UNC) led by an aggrieved member of our tradition, William Ofori-Atta, we lost power painfully to Dr Hilla Liman of (PNP) upon a run off.
We recaptured power in 2000 with President JA Kuffuor for eight years. Suddenly, in 2008, we lost the very power we struggled for because about 17 persons contested, and our front got broken.
In 2020 General elections, we lost about five hundred thousand of our presidential vote, and the number of NPP members of Parliament reduced from over 168 to 137.
In the just ended 2024 General elections, we had many of our front-line Party members either breaking away or relaxed after the Presidential Primaries in November 2023. We did not treat it as a potential threat, after all, we have the numbers until this humiliating defeat occurred. Our Presidential votes further reduced from over 6.7 million votes to a little over 4.6 million vote. Our members of Parliament also reduced from 137 to 88.
The lesson is, anytime our front gets broken, we lose power as a tradition. The case of 1969, 1979, 2008 and 2024.
Nonetheless, there is hope to come back stronger and more United in 2028. We pray the Professor Oquay-Led committee unearths the issues that brought us here in order to prepare adequately for 2028.
Let peace reign in the party. One big party with the elephant as our winning symbol. We shall bounce back stronger.
Thank you
Joseph Nanga Nyindam
Former Constituency Youth Organizer, Kintampo North, NPP
0248977519