National Chairman aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Crabbe, has explained why he believes the party must be more deliberate about who it appoints to government positions when it returns to power.

According to him, people who have not gone through the party’s struggles may not fully appreciate the effort required to build and protect the NPP’s brand.

Speaking on Channel One TV's Face to Face on September 22, 2026, he indicated that party members who have worked and struggled for the NPP should be given serious consideration when government positions are being filled.

“That is why we will make sure that we will not work for you to take that power and then enjoy it with your girlfriend. If your girlfriend wants to be part of the appropriation, your girlfriend should come down and work with us,” he said.

Crabbe also questioned the appointment of what he described as "aliens", a term he said he was using advisedly for government positions under the NPP.

“So, you think that aliens who were appointed into government...I’m using ‘aliens’ advisedly here. They are part of the reasons that your party failed? Because they didn’t know the toil and suffering that you went through to get that position. I think you protect something better if you actually struggled and worked for it,” he said.

Crabbe further pointed out that appointments must be handled carefully because those selected for government positions would ultimately be entrusted with protecting the party’s interests and brand.

“You understand? When you’re making certain decisions, you have to be very careful because it’s a brand, and we need to protect the brand. If you don’t work for it, you are just on the periphery,” he said.

He raised concerns about the influence of people who surround the party’s flagbearer, saying proximity to the party’s leader should not become the basis for securing government positions.

“There are a lot of people who go around the flagbearer. When he wakes up in the morning, he’ll see people all around him, all kinds of people. And then when he moves his car, they’ll follow him,” he said.

Crabbe said the absence of a proper system could allow people close to the party’s leadership to influence appointments when the NPP returns to power.

“Because he sees them all the time, if we don’t have a system in place, what will happen is that you will get very busy as a president, and then you realise that the people around him are just moving people and giving them tokens,” he said.

He cited ambassadorial and deputy ambassadorial positions as examples of appointments that should be handled strategically.

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“You can point to one or two people from the constituency and say, ‘No, no, that’s not true.’ But a large majority of the people, even ambassadorial and deputy ambassadorial positions, see people within the party coming up with people,” he added.

JKB/VPO

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