The NPP’s kind of “internal democracy” is in full gear

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Folks, I like the drama unfolding in the NPP camp. I like it that goings-on paint the kind of picture of the NPP that its leaders and followers cannot fail to see as the culmination of their "rogue" politics now turned sour.

Having expended energy and resources disparaging the NDC, the Electoral Commission, anybody or institution seen as an affront to their pursuit of political power, the NPP bigshots have now turned the dagger on each other, creating the impression that they really know how to do "rogue" politics.

From all angles, they are up in arms, verbally challenging each other for no apparent reason but that each wants to control the turf and concretize his brand of "rogue" politics.

What for, I can't tell for now; but I can easily tell how their house of cards is gradually falling apart.

Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, is really the thorn in their flesh now. He has taken on the incumbent national officers of the NPP cabal, and is gunning for their underbelly to disable them.

Having already described them as "thieves", Kennedy Agyapong is now aiming at where it will hurt them most---to do all he can so they are not retained in office at the March 1 congress. His strategy is simple: Make hotheaded statements to create the impression that the NPP will continue to suffer adversity if these national officers are retained. Thus, bad-mouthing them must persist.

Not only that. Agyapong has vowed to spend about 20 million Dollars to ensure that they are kicked out. Beyond that, he has threatened to form his own political party if the current national officers are retained in office.

Beyond that, he has taken the fight to the National Executive Council of the NPP, threatening to leave the party and resign as an MP if he is ever "disciplined" for being outspoken. He is squeezing "balls" over the indebtedness to the Chinese company from which he bought on credit motor bikes and others for the NPP's 2012 electioneering campaigns (that he is accusing Obetsebi-Lamptey and his team of stealing).

Agyapong is asking the NEC of the NPP to make one million Dollars available before contemplating taking disciplinary action against him.

He is really tormenting these NPP people. What can they do to stop him?

Nothing so far, unlike how they swiftly moved to browbeat Dr. Wereko-Brobby and Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku (or Nyaho Tamakloe and Kwame Pianim).

Instead, some are making faint comments of either submissiveness or fear of Agyapong.

A member of the NPP's Council of Elders, George Ayisi Boateng, is asking Kennedy Agyapong to tone down on his utterances against the party leadership. He said the accusations and counter accusations “disturb the party people”, charging all involved to “cease fire.”

And First Vice Chairman of the party, Fred Oware, has challenged Kennedy Agyapong to go ahead and form his own party if the NPP is too small for him.

He said it is about time the party stamps its authority and punish people, whose actions and inactions bring the name of the party into disrepute. It is clear that Oware’s comment is just a mere show of some power as a national officer of the NPP gunning to dislodge Obetsebi-Lamptey, apparently in a feud borne out by mutual mistrust. His reaction to Agyapong’s outrageous challenges is nothing but a face-saving move which will hit him hard in the face if taken on by Agyapong. After all, Agyapong is known as a major financier of the NPP, which Oware is not. When money talks, those without it pull their tails between their thighs in flight!!

That’s the rub. Do the party's leaders not hear what Kennedy Agyapong says but can't move to discipline him? Only they know how the shoe they are wearing pinches.

Is it not intriguing that these NPP leaders could swiftly act to “discipline” some outspoken members of the party but cannot act against Kennedy Agyapong? They know why, which makes me laugh them to scorn all the more. They are pampering him while rushing fast to “discipline” the “meek and mild” whose only offence is that they are concerned enough to complain about goings-on that don’t favour them or that don’t move the party where they want it to be. They don’t have the kind of money that TALKS!!

If these members of the NPP’s Executive Committee or Council of Elders have any power between their thighs, let them take on Kennedy Agyapong now for us all to see them as being “democratic” in handling dissension in their ranks. Pampering Agyapong and punishing others committing the same offence (bring the party’s name into disrepute) is a clear demonstration of selective justice or cowardice!!

We are even not talking about the factionalism going on, which the party's leaders are busily denying here and there but will be hurt by it in the long run.

We need to point out to Kennedy Agyapong that the defeat of the NPP at Election 2012 cannot be blamed on the incompetence of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and his team alone. Indeed, Kennedy Agyapong was a major negative factor for the NPP's standing at the polls. His senseless utterances before the elections, especially his unconscionable call on Asantes to kill Gas and Ewes was a major factor that influenced the rejection of the NPP (not to talk about Akufo-Addo's own inadequacies).

Thus, it is inadmissible for Kennedy Agyapong to take on the national officers of the party solely on the score of their not doing well to return the party to power. But wrapped up in himself—and deceiving himself that wealth is all the individual needs to be on top of the world—he won't understand the dynamics and will continue to be carried away by his haughtiness.

Well, now that the “Concert Party” shows are home-based, what else should I do but sit back and enjoy the episodes as and when they get enacted? I am really enjoying what is happening in this political cabal. More grease to your elbows, elephants!! I shall return… • E-mail: [email protected] • Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor to continue the conversation.