December 10, 2021, was the beginning of the subtle feather-ruffling of the New Patriotic Party ‘billboard’ and ‘banner’ ahead of its congress.

The party through the Director of Communications, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, issued a two-page press release banning all activities associated with internal party contests, parliamentary and presential primaries.

It referred to the party’s constitution under Article 10 (10) (1) and its Code of Conduct issued under Article 18.

This meant that prior to the opening of nominations, the party had banned the display of paraphernalia and advocacy for individual aspirants.

“…no billboards and or sign boards, banners or any kind of outdoor signage with the images and or names of individual members, with or without the consent of the individual, shall be acceptable.

This applies to the area within the Greater Kumasi Metropolis. All such displays, if put up already, should be removed,” the statement said.

Billboard ban protecting party preferred candidates?

The decision by the party that compels its members to pull down aspirants’ billboards and posters in Greater Kumasi ahead of its congress has attracted some diverse views from outside the party.

One of such is the Executive Director for the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBRE), Gordon Newlove Asamoah, who describes it at undemocratic.

“… there is nothing wrong for party supporters to publicly declare their intentions for others because this will further deepen the democratic credentials of the country.”

Mr Asamoah observes the decision could be driven by the party’s hidden agenda to protect some preferred candidates.

“I think the party is trying to protect its preferred candidate after noticing that some other candidates are gaining ground. I don’t seem to understand why the party ordered for candidates to pull down their billboards forgetting that huge sums of money was paid, it doesn’t make sense at all to me.”

The race for the Ashanti Chairmanship position which has become fierce for months now is fingered as a possible example. Aftermath of the September 2021 meeting by the party leadership, delegates and party supporters in Ejisu might have been fingered as one of the reasons.

It was evident that the popularity of the incumbent regional Chairman, Mr Antwi-Boasiako was declining.

A new phase was emerging or had emerged in the personality of Odeneho Kwaku Appiah popularly referred to as the ‘Chairman of Chairmen’ - chairman of the constituency chairmen in the region.

It was followed by the Party’s ‘Headquarters-Landlady Rent Saga’ which compounded the situation compelling Chairman Wuntumi to embark on a media tour in the region to explain himself.

Mr Newlove Asamoah continued that the NPP seem not to have learnt any lesson from parliamentary election outcome in Fomena in the last election.

“I keep saying that the NPP government doesn’t learn anything, because they’ve soon forgotten the lesson learned from the 2020 parliamentary elections at Fomena where they all campaigned against the independent candidate including the president, and he eventually won, they should have learned that any person who is preferred by the grassroots no matter the manipulations by the party nothing will change,” he added.

But the Ashanti Regional Organizer of the NPP, Frank Adomako on a local radio station, would explain that the decision was taken by the party to prevent delegates from concentrating solely on banners and other campaign activities instead of paying attention to the main activity.

He added that the decision was also taken to prevent some unexpected circumstances which may muddy the beauty of the event.

Call for Disqualification

Sunday, December 12, 2021 was the last Akwasidae for the year and would be celebrated and observed in a grand fashion at the Manhyia Palace.

Chiefs from all the paramountcies and traditional areas in the Asante Kingdom one after the other majestically find their seats at the durbar grounds.

It was a beautiful spectacle of pomp and pageantry at the palace.

High profile personalities across different spheres of the Ghanaian economy including politicians were also in attendance.

The arrival of the Vice President and some government officials to the durbar the grounds, was greeted by party supporters drumming and singing party songs while chanting his name.

Some of them openly displayed the “Break the 8 with Dr. Bawumia’’ banners.

This development perhaps without the consent of the Veep, had drawn concerns from some of the supporters who felt denied of a similar opportunity to show support to their candidates in similar style.

It resulted in some level of altercations but the timely intervention of the security prevented a near clash.

The concern was that party leadership at the grounds looked on whiles these groups disregarded party directive ahead of delegates conference.

Test on Wuntumi's Leadership

One of the pictures shows the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wuntumi, leading the group.

Intermittently, Mr Antwi-Boasiako would keep his right hand up and wave the teaming supporters and sympathisers around. This he did for a short while before he sat.

His gesture has compelled some party persons to question his leadership.

“he didn’t show leadership by looking on whiles the support that”, some of the aggrieved supporters said.

The development therefore provoked other supporters especially those believed to be pro-Alan supporters who begun calling on National Executives of the party to disqualify Dr. Bawumia and Bernard Antwi Bosiako for not showing “leadership”.

According to them, the National Executives of the party have failed to ensure compliance with its directive of no campaign ahead of the National Delegates’ Conference.

The 10^th December statement in the third paragraph reads, “…any person, with or without their consent, whose image is flaunted on any advocacy material and who does not take active steps to desist from any public displays of aspiration for a position within the precincts of Greater Kumasi, runs a higher risk of disqualification in the event nominations are declared opened.”

This has been the reference by those calling for the disqualification.

Afia Korankywaa of QUEENS ladies group present at the grounds reiterated the call for disqualification of Wontumi and Bawumia.

It will suffice to say that the leadership of Chairman Wuntumi in recent months have come under big test.

The Spillover

On 16th December 2021, Pro-Alan Groups issued a statement drawing the attention of party leadership and the media about people they describe ‘unpatriotic attention-seekers’.

“…we have taken notice of some planned mischievous activities to be carried out by sections of unpatriotic attention-seekers who claim to be party members with the sole intent of denigrating the hard-earned reputation of the NEXT presidential candidate of the great New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The group as we have learnt have printed T-shirts with the face of HON. ALAN KWADWO KYEREMANTENG embossed on it to cause mayhem and commotion during this weekend’s pending National Delegates Conference in the Greater Kumasi Region. And to use it as an avenue to commenced an argument that the impeccable Alan Kyerematen has floured party rules and regulations.”

They continued that, “We wish to disassociate ourselves from such purported heinous activities and admonish all well-meaning party members that No Group supporting Alan Kyerematen has any intention to flout the Party’s rules with disrepute as some other people and their supporters are doing to defile the sanctity of the great elephant party.”

The development therefore calls enhanced security during the conference and punish anyone who is found culpable in engaging in such acts.

Compliance

Often and as practical as it should be, when directives are spelt out to a group of people, compliance is automatically required to see it through.

This hasn’t been the case for the NPP ahead of their congress.

Mounted in major intersections and strategic points in the Greater Kumasi Metropolis, have been array of billboards by aspirants of many forms.

For close to two weeks, the city was evident through party colours on these billboards with known faces obviously displaying their intent of vying for either regional or national positions in the party.

The Sunday incidents would go viral and that triggered action from the party leadership.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, in a statement titled, ‘REMOVAL OF BILL BOARDS, BANNERS, POSTERS AND ANY OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENTS OF NPP ASPIRANTS’, instructed for these billboards to be pulled down.

“The Party's Steering Committee has decided that no bill boards, banners, posters etc of various NPP aspirants are allowed within the Ashanti Region, especially Greater Kumasi, during the National Delegates Conference.

The Ashanti Regional Minister has been given the responsibility to remove all these bill boards. Consequently, I am requesting anyone who has mounted or pasted any of such items within the Region to remove them latest by 12 midnight tomorrow, Wednesday, 15th December, 2021.”

Mr Osei Mensah would then direct the MMDCEs to take up responsibility to remove these billboards after the deadline.

“Failure to obey this directive by the end of the deadline, the Regional Minister will have no other option but to ensure removal of all such items. MMDCEs are also directed to remove all such items after the deadline.”

Lao Tzu, the popular Chinese Philosopher once said that, “No one rules if no one obeys”.

Billboards of Odeneho Kwaku Appiah whose candidature for the Ashanti Regional Chairmanship position has become known were the first to go down.

Others including that of the Agriculture Minister, Dr Afriyie Akoto, followed suit but as at Thursday some like that of Boakye Agyarko was still up.

The NPP party in recent times seem to be struggling with the real sense of the word compliance ahead of its congress – perhaps.