The NPP Flagbearership Race: Are We Sacrificing Party Unity At The Altar Of Political Ambition?

In his oration at Julius Caesar’s funeral, Mark Anthony observed that “ambition must be made of sterner stuff”. This statement, even within its narrowest context, is very loaded and offers a much deeper significance than it appears to be on the surface for while it admits to the fact that it is human to be ambitious, it underscores the fact that ambition must be exercised within the context of one’s human capabilities which ultimately determine how competent and effective a leader will be. Needless to say, these capabilities include amongst others, experience, technical knowledge, and humility.

But, even though Mark Anthony’s observation about human nature as manifested in the political arena was made in the 4th Century BC, it still resonates very well with political behaviors in contemporary human societies regardless of their level of complexity. Closer to home, it resonates very well with developments with regard to the race for flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party, especially, the number and background of some of the aspiring candidates for the 2008 elections.

Formally, the Fourth Republican Constitution sets out the conditions to be met by candidates aspiring for Presidency in Ghana and these include but not limited to the following: The person must be a citizen of Ghana, must have attained the age of 40 and is otherwise qualified to be elected as an MP, and should not have been disqualified by reason of the findings of a committee or commission of enquiry without the benefit of a pardon from the state. Based on these formal criteria, every one of the candidates can be expected to become the president of the country, electoral success permitting. Thus, our Constitution recognizes the right of any citizen to aspire to any elected office of the state, including the Presidency. However, as Mark Anthony aptly observed several decades ago, there are certain conditions under which such political aspirations could be realized, that is, the “Sterner Stuff” ingredients of national leadership.

The central message of this article is that social organization is a multi-dimensional construct, a fact which underscores the crucial importance of the role of informal rules, conventions and practices in all human endeavors. Thus, such formal criteria as age, sterile educational qualifications, experience or the lack of it per se, should not be counted as the sole conditions that recommend anybody for the presidency. Rather, it takes a good appreciation of the crucial issues of governance together with practical, hands-on experience in governance rather than a mere opportunity to serve as a Minister of State. Using this as my nostrum for assessment, it stands to reason that only about four or five of those who have declared their intention to seek the nomination of the party for the Presidency can be considered to be serious contenders. To put it more bluntly, being a Minister or similar positions in the present administration may be necessary but not sufficient condition to ascend to the Presidency.

The history of the Party is littered with examples of men and women who did a lot to build the Danquah-Busia tradition (Dombo tradition as I prefer to call it) into an enviable institution without exuding any overt ambition for national leadership. Stalwarts of the tradition like Drs Busia and Danquah, Baffour Osei-koto, Obetsebi Lamptey, Justices Akufo-Addo, N.A Ollennu, Chief S.D. Dombo. B.K. Adama, Jatoe Kaleo, S.G. Anto, William Ofori-Attah and others were all selfless and dedicated followers of the tradition who literally suffered and died for the cause of this noble tradition as we know it today. It is even gratifying to note that their sacrifices, being legendary, have not been lost on the opposition. Among some of the living legends today are Messrs. R. R. Amponsah and B. J da Rocha who, like their departed “comrades”, sacrificed and toiled extensively in the cause of this tradition and can equally claim ownership of this great Party. It is interesting that some of these living legends of the Party have continually resisted any attempt to contest the party’s leadership and hence the Presidency, perhaps, with the understanding that others like President Kufuor were best suited for the job.

As an organization whose roots are deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, one cannot write about developments within the NPP without drawing inspiration from its wisdom. The NPP is like a farm or field ready to be harvested. Some people have planted the crops and others are ready to harvest them. Unfortunately, there are quite some few among them who really want to harvest where they have not sewn. Admittedly, others among the potential harvesting team have done the hard work but there are some few unwittingly yearning to harvest the benefits of their colleagues’ hard work. The Book of Hebrews provides a useful guide for us as Party faithful at this juncture. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews, we are provided with examples of faith from among God’s people in history.

The chapter selectively puts forth different individuals and their faith-based actions in chronological order, beginning with Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, and cites Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jepthah, David, and Samuel and many others as exemplars of faith. These individuals, including men like Daniel and his friends Shadrach Mesha ch and Abednego, who averted execution when the lion did not eat them up, are responsible for a list of accomplishments mentioned in verses 33 and 34. Gideon, Barak, Samson and others were good generals but suffered for their faith one way or the other but considered such suffering as vicarious. The import of verses 39 and 40 thus become readably discernible against the backdrop of the historical accounts in the verses preceding them:

“And all these having gained approval through their faith did not receive what was promised, (40) because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they ( the past men of faith) should not be made perfect.

The Book of Romans (Ch. 8:19) illuminates this principle further in these words: “For the anxious waits eagerly for the revealing of the son of God”.

These men of faith the bible so eloquently talks about did not have the benefit of knowing about or seeing our Lord Jesus Christ. How have these words of wisdom helped us to understand the dynamics of our party over the years? Our Party’s history is replete with examples of men and women who have risen above personal interests and ambitions to ensure the unity of the entire organization. The fate of the likes of Obetsebi-Lamptey, Dombo and others can be likened to these biblical figures many of whom perished in the cause of advancing the cause of our political tradition. One historical figure of the Party who always comes to mind as a classic example of subordinating individual ambition for the greater good is the late Chief Dombo. When it became clear that the only way the formidable CPP could be dislodged from power was through a coalition of the smaller opposition parties, Chief Dombo, who then controlled 13 Parliamentary seats and was the Official Opposition Leader, surrendered his leadership of the Opposition to Dr. Busia and accepted to become the latter’s deputy in the newly-formed United Party. In fact, it is against this background of the history of selflessness on the part of this founding member of the Party that I suggest that we call the tradition the Danquah Busia-Dombo tradition.

Today, this tradition of “following the master from baptism to ascension” continues in the actions of those who are genuine believers of the Danquah-Busia tradition. The journey to the Presidency by the present incumbent, Mr. J.A. Kufuor, was not by one giant leap but a tortuous and a frustrating one that started with a footstep. Having started as an MP and a Deputy Minister in 1969, he humbly joined the queue for the leadership in 1979 but again ended up as an MP and the Second Deputy Minority leader. It was in 1992, when the ban on Party politics was lifted, that he joined seniors like Dr(s) Dzane Selby, Sarfo-Adu, Addison and Professor Adu-Boahene to contest for the flagbearership of the Party. It wasn’t until 1996 when he won the Primaries the Party’s Presidential candidate and thereafter lost to former President Rawlings. Between that time and the year 2000, when he won the Presidency at his second attempt, he criss-crossed the entire country about three times with a rickety 4x4 Vehicle, which often left him stranded in the middle of nowhere. One such experience occurred on his way to Damango, where as a result of the bad road, two of the vehicle’s tyres got burst and as result he had to find a passenger lorry to get to Tamale to repair the tyres.

The above incident was the rule rather than the exception in President Kufuor’s political experience and contrasts sharply with the present political climate under which some of our fellow party members are vying for the leadership of the Party. For one thing, there is no incumbency to deal with, since whoever wins the nomination shall be the candidate for the governing party. Above all, they also have the benefit of using very strong and reliable vehicles now at their disposal. It is my contention that it is this congenial political environment which might have propelled or dictated the quest among some of them to aspire for the national office other than a real and well-founded realization that they have what it takes, beside the fine prints of our Constitution to seek the Presidency. Consistent with my belief that there are no more than five serious contenders for the Party’s leadership, I urge all the contestants to do a lot of introspection and critical self examination as a prelude to the formation of viable coalitions with the formidable candidates amongst them to render selection process both meaningful and easy for the Party’s Electoral College. In a sense, I am urging all candidates to be humble enough or “Dombonize” themselves for the greater good of our party.

For, bereft of this tradition of hard work, commitment and selflessness, several of today’s party faithful are like the biblical figures in Verses 39 and 40 of Hebrews Chapter 11 who are seem to be impatient. Understandably, some of us in leadership positions of the Party now have benefited from such political appointments as Ministers, Ambassadors etc. but not being content with what we have gained so far, we are madly seeking the Presidency in a manner that suggests that rather than waiting to see Christ, we all want to be the Christ. But, let us be warned that unless these inordinate ambitions are checked, we risk sacrificing the unity and vibrancy of the Party at the altar of individual ambitions. Have we forgotten about the case of Sonja Ghandi, the widow of slain Prime Minister, Rajiv Ghandi who declined leadership of the Indian Congress Party in favor of Dr. Manmahon Singh in the name of party unity? And, frankly how many of our presidential aspirants can withstand a thorough self examination beyond the protective cap of the NPP? It is time the reality dawned on politicians on both sides of the political divide to give true meaning to the phrase “sacrifice for the national interest”.

Finally, as we head for Congress to elect our leader, I pray that the delegates will be guided by the time-tested Party tradition of dedication, diligence, and sacrifice rather than by any other consideration. Failing this, they will assume for themselves the pitiful garment of Judas Iscariot, who because of thirty pieces of Gold betrayed Jesus and suffered an untimely death. The parcel of salvation that he had worked for in his three year stay with Christ fizzled away from him to be taken over by the thief, who in his our of death on the cross recognized the importance of the Lord Jesus and as a result got a reprieve from Christ towards his salvation. For that he received a promise of a grand welcome to the paradise with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Obeng G. Busia, Ghana’s Consul-General to the United States of America, New York

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.