Be sober when punishing your members, exercise patience - Prof. Osafo tells NPP

Prof. Joseph Osafo has called on the New Patriotic Party to relax its punitive measures against members said to be in breach of its constitution.

Four prominent members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) openly soliciting support for independent candidate and former flagbearer aspirant of the party, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, have had their membership revoked.

These persons; Hopeson Adorye, a defeated parliamentary candidate, Nana Ohene Ntow, a former General Secretary, Boniface Abubakar Saddique, a former Zongo Minister and Yaw Buaben Asamoah, former Adentan MP, according to the party, are no longer members for breaching its constitution.

A statement issued and signed by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, read; “Despite their flagrant breach of the Party’s Constitution particularly Articles 3(5)(A)(4) and 3(9)(1), the afore-named men still hold themselves out as members of the NPP.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Article 3(5)(A)(4) of the NPP Constitution enjoins all members of the Party to abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the Party”.

It continued that Article 3(9)(1) of the Constitution enjoins any member who supports an independent candidate to lose his or her membership.

“A Member of the Party, who stands as an independent candidate against the officially elected member of the Party, or who joins or declares his or her support for another Political Party, or for an independent candidate, when the Party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election, automatically forfeits his or her membership of the Party.”

“In line with these constitutional provisions, it is the view of the NPP that Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Yaw Buaben Asamoa have AUTOMATICALLY FORFEITED their membership of the Party. They are, therefore, no longer members of the Party”, the party emphasized.

Prof. Joseph Osafo, commenting on the decision during Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", has implored the NPP to be sober in meting out sanctions to their members particularly at this crucial time that they are nearing the 2024 elections.

According to him, the party cannot afford to lose its members nor their influence, asserting the decision to dismiss these four stalwarts may not augur well for the party.

The Senior Psychologist also shared that he prefers dialogue to what he termed a "muscular" approach to addressing issues.

"Two wrongs don't make a right", he stated, cautioning the NPP against the times they are in to risk dismissing their members.

"In these times that the NPP find itself, I think that they should soberly take certain decisions...exercise a little patience", he urged.