Kwadwo Mpiani on ‘palace coup’ in NPP

Kwadwo Mpiani, the former Chief of Staff in the erstwhile Kufour Administration has expressed worry over the way and manner certain individuals in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) want to impose themselves on the party.

According to him, the guiding principles on which the NPP was formed, whose history predates 1992, seem to be lost due to the actions and inactions of some party members and this is a source of bother to him.

“….I am afraid of what could happen to the party because of the way some of our people want to get into the party at all cause,” he said.

Mr. Mpiani made these comments on Accra-based NEAT FM during the discussion of what many describe as a ‘Palace Coup’ in the NPP.

The newly elected National Executives lead by Paul Afoko, the National Chairman and his General Secretary, Kwabena Adjei Agyapong were openly defied during an attempt to have the party’s National Council, the highest decision-making body after delegates’ congress, reconstituted last Friday.

Mr. Afoko is reported to have raised issues with the current composition of the body at the said meeting held over the weekend, with the aim of having its membership reconstituted, but this move was seen by some as an attempt to smuggle his cronies into the party’s National Council.

Reports say it resulted in a heated debate which dragged on for nearly two hours and many political pundits deem it as ‘Palace Coup’.

Nonetheless, Kwadwo Mpiani is of the view that the leadership of the NPP must be allowed to work in order to deliver victory come 2016 and warned party faithful against actions that could lead to self-destruction. He also cautioned past and current leaders to be wary of those around them because they are the ones who can cause their downfall through gossip and backbiting.

“…if they do not watch these people carefully, they would be destroyed. Also, they must be firm principled enough to call their supporters to order if they go wayward. They must not turn a blind eye because these wrongs are being perpetuated against their competitors”

“…we all belong to one big party so we must work towards ironing our differences, in order to win power in 2016, rather than working against the party and its National leaders,” the Former Chief of Staff counseled.

The former Chief of Staff further stated that calls for peace in the party will not achieve much if the processes leading to the election of a presidential candidate are not made transparent.