Prior to the general election 2020, sitting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who was contesting for re-election, was so assertive on not working with any of the NPP members decamped from the party to contest for parliamentary seats as independent candidates, should they even win their seats.

However, as things turned out to the shock of many an NPP member and supporter, including Nana Akufo-Addo himself, he could not help the situation but lick back his own sputum, although an Akan proverb ridicules the licking back of spittle spat onto the floor. Doing so by the President at that critical moment was a necessary evil hence forgivable. He had no choice but to do it. What a true and practical demonstration of, “man proposes and God disposes”.

If he had not welcomed back the Fomena Constituency winner of the parliamentary seat with open arms into the NPP, the NPP could have become the minority caucus in parliament today.

Now as I write, there have been two press conference releases on Kumawu District in regards of their choice of District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Kumawu Sekyere District. One of them was released by a group calling themselves the youth of NPP in the district or in the Kumawu constituency. They held the press conference at Kumawu Bodomase. The other was released by a group calling themselves NPP youth in the same district and constituency but the press conference appearing to have been held in Kumawu. Could it be the same group of NPP youth holding both press conferences but at different venues?

The first group raised verifiable concerns about the re-appointment of the current DCE, Mr Samuel Addai Agyekum. They were pleading with the President not to re-appoint him as DCE for a number of reasons, among which were incompetence, overflowing with lies, obstructing the development of the district by not getting any fair share of the distribution of the national cake as a result of his many lies told to the contrary, and also, often not cooperating with the MP for the Kumawu constituency but even sought to sabotage him during the 2020 general elections.

The second group is pleading with the President to appoint one Mr Kwaku Duah as DCE in replacement of Samuel Addai Agyekum. This group adduces reasons to justify why Kwaku Duah is the best bet for the post of DCE should the President decide on replacing the current one.

Mr Duah, a native of Kumawu but who was residing in the USA and self-claims to be a registered ardent member of the NPP in New York (USA), came to Ghana a few months leading to the conduction of the 2020 general elections. He came after the NPP primaries to elect parliamentary candidates for the constituencies throughout the country had been held.

Mr Duah decided to go independent to contest the Kumawu constituency parliamentary seat, although the NPP had fielded a candidate in the person of Philip Basoah (Hon), the incumbent MP, already.

When the election was finally held on Wednesday, 7 December 2020, while Basoah won the seat by 14,000+ votes, Duah had 11,000+ votes, coming second. Duah performed very well to the admiration of many but nearly to the disappointment of others. If he had been in the country a few months back, still contesting as an independent candidate, he could possibly have beaten the MP to catapult NPP into opposition, deducing from the 2020 parliamentary election results.

If Mr Duah was, or is, an NPP member? Why did he defy the President’s directive to go ahead to contest for the Kumawu parliamentary seat as an independent candidate, one may ask?

What message will it send to the real NPP members within the constituency and district if he is offered the job as DCE? Is he the only constituent from the NPP in the district able to help develop the district if offered the post? Yes, we need somebody who loves the district and is honestly willing to develop it, if he is indeed capable.

However, what strong message is being sent out to future candidates who will defy not only the warnings by the President but the party’s constitution and policies if they still stand to gain irrespective of their actions taken?

NPP leadership may have learnt a bitter lesson from obstinately imposing their preferred candidates on constituencies contrary to the choices of the constituents who hold the power to make it or break it.

Is it the same group of NPP youth in the constituency or district issuing both press releases?

If my opinion was sought, I will advise the President to go for the views of one guy going by the nickname “Opatuo”. He is a strong NPP member. I do not know him personally but listening to his posted WhatsApp audios prior to the election, one could easily tell his dedication to the party and how he wishes best for the constituency and the district.

The President is advised to seek the honest consensus view of the NPP members in the district or constituency as may be led and presented by the MP, but nobody else, before appointing a replacement DCE should there be a need for his replacement.

As one was a necessary evil, is the second instance also same? Only President Nana Akufo-Addo can tell.