Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA), the Afigya Kwabre South constituency chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), who is aspiring to lead the Ashanti regional branch of the party, has said building a political party is not a one-man affair.
“Political party organisation and its financing is not a one-man business. It is more or less a communal labour where many people contribute to the growth of the party”.
He told Kumasi-based Hello FM recently that if the one-man show and pride is not discouraged in the NPP, especially in the Ashanti Region, it will be difficult for the party to win the next general elections.
“The Ashanti region is the bedrock of NPP; in fact, it contributes about 20% of votes to the party in national elections but it is obvious that the party’s fortune in the region is dwindling”, he said.
“We lost two of our parliamentary seats to the NDC in the last elections. While the NPP increased their votes in the region by over 155,000 in 2020, the NDC increased their votes by over 160,000. This is the time the NPP needs to bring onboard everyone to help propagate the good work of the Party. It is not time for division. We have to work together, think together and decide together to solve the issues confronting the party.”
Odeneho, who is seeking to end the tenure of incumbent Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) stated that chairmanship in the region is a serious business and, therefore, needs serious people at the helm of affairs to galvanise the base and change the fortunes.
“The truth is no single person can finance political party activities. President Kufuor, in his time as leader, could not do it alone. He fell on party supporters and sympathisers for support and contribution. The sitting president, Nana Akufo-Addo, did the same with ‘yi bi ma campaign’. So, let’s stop the arrogance and one-man show business in NPP, especially Ashanti region and rather adopt a consensus approach to party building,” COKA said.
He stated that what the party needs now is someone who is a unifier and is ready to mobilise people to work for the betterment of the party.
“I have been through the ranks of the party from polling station to constituency chairman and to the regional finance committee. I am the unifier the NPP in Ashanti region needs to break the 8,” he added.
