John Boadu: NPP Chairman Should Not Automatically Be Party Leader
John Boadu, National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says the position of National Chairman should not automatically confer the status of party leader, arguing that all elected executives are servants entrusted with the responsibility of serving the party. His comments follow the NPP’s recent constitutional amendment, which makes the party’s presidential candidate the leader of the party. Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Boadu said the identity of the person in charge should not be the primary concern, as elected executives have specific responsibilities to fulfil. “Who is in charge doesn’t really matter. We’re all servants who have been elected to come and serve,” he said.
Mr Boadu said the NPP’s previous constitutional arrangement had served the party well since 1992 and questioned the need to alter its leadership structure. “Our constitution that we have been working with has served us well since 1992, and I made it clear at Legon. But I didn’t have the strength or what it takes to mobilise,” he said. Citing the principle that systems which work effectively should not be unnecessarily changed, he said making the chairman the party leader was unnecessary. He maintained that the performance of a National Chairman should be judged by how well the person fulfils the responsibilities of the office rather than by whether the chairman is formally recognised as party leader. “I said that a good chairman doesn’t need to be a leader of the party, and a bad chairman doesn’t deserve to be a leader of the party,” he said. Mr Boadu added that whether the NPP is in opposition or in government, his priority would be to fulfil the mandate entrusted to him. “So whether in opposition or power, my focus is on the job I have been given,” he said, adding that the current debate could have been avoided if the existing party structures had been maintained.
