New Patriotic Party

The New Patriotic Party [NPP] Kukurudu lost the 1992 presidential elections to the National Democratic Congress led by Rawlings. Despite the elections being declared as free and fair by internationally observers, Prof Adu Boahene, the NPP candidate, alleged that there was heavy rigging by the Interim National Electoral Commission headed by Nana Oduro Nimapau and hence the NPP as well as the National Independence Party, People's Heritage Party and the People's National Convention boycotted the parliamentary elections. The decision to not contest in the parliamentary elections which was held a couple of weeks after the presidential election at the time meant that the National Democratic Congress, National Convention Party and the Eagle Party which was already a coalition won almost all the parliamentary seats available. One seat was actually won by an independent candidate, Hawa Yakubu.

This protest however led to some reforms in the electoral system, notably the use of transparent ballot boxes at polling stations, issuing of voter ID cards and the use indelible ink (which lasted for a month) to mark people who had been registered to avoid double voting.

John Kufuor (left) with the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva (right)

After the defeat in 1992, the NPP chairman at the time, Peter Ala Adjetey, stated that the party was resolved to do their homework and wrestle power from the NDC in the 1996 election. They made the decision that regardless of the results, they would contest for parliamentary seats to stop what was seen as an NDC monopoly in Parliament.

Prior to the party convention, it appeared that the overwhelming favourite to become the next presidential candidate was a well renowned economist known as Kwame Pianim. However, some members of the party led by Florence Ekwam challenged Pianim's eligibility due to a prior conviction during the PNDC era. The Supreme Court of Ghana declared Pianim as ineligible and hence he couldn't be considered for nomination. On 20 April 1996, John Kufuor was nominated as the NPP presidential candidate with 1034 out of 2000 delegates drawn from all the 200 Constituencies to run for the presidency in the general election held on 10 December 1996. This time, both presidential and parliamentary elections were held on the same day, unlike the previous election, as part of the reforms by the National Electoral Commission headed by Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.

The NPP gained an unlikely alliance from the Vice President of Ghana, Kow Nkensen Arkaah, whose party (National Convention Party) had severed their alliance with the National Democratic Congress. The NPP hence formed what was deemed as the "Great Alliance" with the NCP and Vice President Arkaah was nominated to be the running mate of Kuffuor. After campaigning for less than nine months, Kufuor polled 39.62% of the popular votes to Jerry Rawlings' 57% in the 1996 election. Despite the elections being declared as free and fair by international observers, the New Patriotic Party alleged that the election had been rigged by the National Electoral Commission and President Rawlings. The NPP however won a substantial number of seats in the Ghana parliament and effectively ended the NDC monopoly.

John Kufuor (right) with the President of the United States, George W. Bush (left), in June 2001

On 23 October 1998, Kufuor was re-nominated by the New Patriotic Party to run again for the presidency. President Rawlings, facing term limits, was due to retire after the 2000 elections. Pianim, however, resigned from the NPP and Peter Ala Adjetey, the party chairman, handed over the chairmanship to Samuel Odoi-Sykes. Aliu Mahama stood as the running mate of John Kufuor. The NDC in turn nominated Vice President John Atta Mills as its presidential candidate.

Kufuor won the first round of the presidential election, held on 7 December 2000, with 48.4% of the popular votes. His closest challenger was Atta Mills with 44.8% of the votes. The electoral rules in Ghana mandate that the winner of elections must cross a 50% threshold. A run off election was hence organised. All the parties came together to support the NPP including the Convention People's Party, Reform Party and the United Ghana Movement against the NDC.

In the second round, held on 28 December 2000, Kufour was victorious, taking 56.9% of the vote. When Kufuor was sworn in on 7 January 2001, it marked the first time in history that an incumbent government had peacefully surrendered power to the opposition.[7]

John Agyekum Kufuor on a state visit with George W. Bush at the White House in April 2006

The New Patriotic Party's President, John Agyekum Kufuor was once again re-elected in the Ghana general election, 2004, presidential and parliamentary elections held on 7 December 2004, earning 52.45% of the popular vote in the first round and thus avoiding a run-off, while at the same time, the New Patriotic Party, was able to secure more seats in the Parliament.[8]

Several government officials within the Kufuor administration resigned their cabinet positions to contest for the NPP flagbearership in July 2007. This included the likes of Nkrabea Effah Dartey, Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan John Kyerematen and 13 other contenders. Akufo-Addo and Kyerematen were the two leading candidates according to the pundits. However, Akufo-Addo won 48% of the votes in the first round of the party delegates election. The NPP set aside a provision in the party's constitution which required that candidates obtain 50% + one vote of delegates to secure the party's nomination thus making Nana Akufo-Addo the New Patriotic party's candidate for the 2008 presidential elections.

John Kufuor with President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the 33rd G8 summit

In the 7 December 2008 presidential elections, Akufo-Addo placed first and received more votes than John Atta Mills, amassing 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13% of the total votes cast; however, he fell short of the 50% needed for an outright victory. It was the best-ever performance for a first-time presidential candidate since the beginning of Ghana's Fourth Republic in 1992. In the run-off election, however, Mills received 4,521,032 votes, representing 50.23%, and thus defeated Akufo-Addo.

The run-off elections were marred with controversy and once again, although international observers had expressed satisfaction with the way and manner the elections were conducted, the NPP alleged voter fraud. According to the NPP leadership, figures in certain constituencies had been massaged, hence the results published by the Electoral Commission and the Ghana press (mostly Peace FM online and Ghanaweb) were not accurate. Also, NPP activists like Kwabena Agyapong and Elizabeth Ohene were allegedly intimidated in areas of the Volta Region of Ghana, a region where the NPP had never won any constituency. The complaint led to a delay in the declaration of the results, sparking angry NDC demonstrators onto the streets of the capital city Accra. Tony Aidoo, an NDC activist, fired up these NDC protesters by dismissing the NPP claims as "stupid". The chairman of the electoral commission, Kwadwo Afari Djan, eventually organised a press conference and claimed that the Tain Constituency had some issues and hence another run-off election had to be organised in that constituency alone. After revising the figures, he asserted that although John Atta Mills was leading in the popular votes, the number of registered voters in the Tain constituency were enough to swing the election the other way. Therefore, the final results would be declared after the Tain constituency results had been certified and declared. An election was held in that constituency on 2 January 2009 and Mills won by a very comfortable margin of 90.6% to 4%.

The NPP officially went back into opposition in January 2009 when John Kufuor handed over power to John Atta Mills.

On 7 August 2010, the New Patriotic Party re-elected Akufo-Addo as its presidential candidate for the 2012 presidential election. Akufo-Addo received the votes of 79% of the delegates. The electoral convention was the largest that any political party had ever convened in any African state.[4] The New Patriotic Party campaigned on an anti-corruption platform,[4] and to provide free SHS (Secondary High School) education for the population of Ghana.[4]

Following Akufo-Addo's defeat in the presidential election, the New Patriotic Party and Akufo-Addo contested the vote results provided by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, alleging that the 2012 general elections were rigged. They cited tampered vote counts and vote rigging from polling stations in South Ghana.[9] The New Patriotic Party unsuccessfully asked the Electoral Commission of Ghana and its chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan to use the "72 hours withdrawal of election results law" that is written in the constitution of Ghana to "investigate" electoral fraud. The party decided not to concede defeat until an external investigation and a vote recount were completed.[9]

The New Patriotic Party filed a writ with the Supreme Court of Ghana requesting that the results declared by the electoral commission be invalidated. Despite claiming publicly that the election was rigged by the ruling NDC government, their writ in court alleged that there were inconsistencies and irregularities at certain polling stations. Therefore, they wanted the results at those stations to be invalidated. These were in effect polling stations that the NDC won comfortably. Therefore, with figures from those stations (over 11000 of them) invalidated, it would mean that NPP would mathematically be the winners. The Supreme Court of Ghana, headed by Justice Atuguba, gave its final verdict, with the majority opinion stating that even if there were inconsistencies, they were insignificant and could not have altered the election's result. Akufo-Addo conceded defeat after the verdict, on 29 August, 2013.

• The National Chairman elect was Mr Harona Esseku
• First National Vice Chairman Mr Stephen Ntim
• The Second National Vice-chairperson Mrs Agnes Adzo Okudzeto
• The Third National Vice-Chairman Mr Edmund Annan
• The General Secretary elect was Mr Dan Botwe
• The National Treasurer elect was Mr Michael Dugau
• The National Organizer elect was Mr Lord Commey

The National Delegates Congress was slated for 12 April 2014 in Tamale Sports Stadium. About 5,265 delegates were expected to partake in the internal elections of the party.[11]

• The National Chairman position was contested by four persons; Paul Afoko, Stephen Ntim, Fred Oware and jake Obetsebi-Lamptey. The results are as follows; Paul Afoko 2,034, Stephen Ntim 1,503, Fred Oware 1,135 and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey 66.
• The Vice Chairman had three competitors; Freddie Blay, Sammy Crabbe amd Fredua F. Antoh. The results are as follows; Freddie Blay 2,933, Sammy Crabbe 2,358, and Fredua F. Antoh 1,813.
• The General Secretary had four contestants; Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, and Nkrabea Effah Darteh, The results are as follows;Kwabena Agyei Agyepong 2,529, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie 1,990, Yaw Buaben Asamoa 181 and Nkrabea Effah Darteh 46.
• Three persons competed in the National Organizer role, John Boadu, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, and Alhaji Moctar Bamba. The results are as follows; John Boadu 3,279, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye 986 and Alhaji Moctar Bamba 476.
• One person contested in the National Youth Organizer thus Sammy Awuku 471.
• Also, one person contested in the National Nasara Coordinator, thus Kamal-deen Abdulai 84.
• The National Treasurer position was contested by three persons; Emmanuel Abankwa Yeboah, Hajia Ruka, and Suzzy Mensah. The results are as follows; Emmanuel Abankwa Yeboah 2,488, Hajia Ruka 1,162 and Suzzy Mensah 595.
• Three people contested in the National Women's Organizer; Otiko Afisah Djaba, Gifty Tina Mensah, and Mawusi Awity. The results are as follows; Otiko Afisah Djaba 276, Gifty Tina Mensah 250 and Mawusi Awity 113.

The NPP organized the national delegates congress in Eastern region from 15 June 2018 to 17 June 2018.[10]

• In the National Chairman category, there were three contestants; Freddie Blay, Stephen Ayesu Ntim and Dr Richard Amoako Baah. The results are as follows; Freddie Blay – 3,021, Stephen Ayesu Ntim – 2,515 and Dr Richard Amoako Baah – 18.
• The National Vice Chairman category consisted of seven competitors; Rita Asobayire, Frederick Fredua Antoh, Michael Omari Wadie, Emmanuel Ken-Wuud, George Isaac Amoo, Vida Agyekum and Mrs Agnes Asangalisa Chigabatia. The results are as follows; Rita Asobayire – 3671, Frederick Fredua Antoh – 3,125, Michael Omari Wadie – 3,028, Emmanuel Ken-Wuud – 1,325, George Isaac Amoo – 1,222, Vida Agyekum – 1,107, and Mrs Agnes Asangalisa Chigabatia – 836.
• Two contestants battled in the General Secretary role; John Boadu and Richard Ahiagbah. The results are as follows; John Boadu – 4,277 and Richard Ahiagbah – 1,274.
• The National Treasurer had six individuals competing; Kwabena Abankwa-Yeboah, Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama, Mary Posch-Oduro, Hajia Ruka Ahmeed, Abraham Obeng Amoakohene, and Kwabena Oppong Frimpong. The results are as follows; Kwabena Abankwa-Yeboah – 2,492, Nuhu Bayorbo Mahama – 1,050, Mary Posch-Oduro – 1,012, Hajia Ruka Ahmeed – 467, Abraham Obeng Amoakohene – 447, and Kwabena Oppong Frimpong – 50.
• Three people contested in the National Organizer position; Sammi Awuku, Suleiman Sadik, and Emmanuel Kodua. The results are as follows; Sammi Awuku – 4,913, Suleiman Sadik – 942, and Emmanuel Kodua – 266.
• The National Youth Organizer had four persons; Henry Nana Boakye, Dominic Eduah, Kamal-Deen Abdulai, and Emmanuel Nana Appiah. The results are as follows; Henry Nana Boakye – 423, Dominic Eduah – 245, Kamal-Deen Abdulai – 102, and Emmanuel Nana Appiah – 1.
• The National Women's Organizer role had two persons contesting; Kate Gyamfua and Joyce Konokie Zemapare. The results are as follows; Kate Gyamfua – 686 and Joyce Konokie Zempare – 109.
• The Nasara Coordinator position had 14 participants. The results are as follows; Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa – 201, Ahmed Zaruk Nuhu – 123, Alhaji Baba Gado Mohammed – 82, Alhaji Salihu Yahaya Bo – 39, Rashid Adam – 23, Alhaji Musah Sheriff – 19, Aminu Abu – 12, Abubakari Suleimana – 8, Alhaji Iddrisu Abdulai Dipantiche – 4, Kazeem Ibrahim – 1, Abdul-Rahman Diallo – 1, Alhaji Dauda Abdul Rahman Duodu – 0, Ali Suraj - 0, Sulemana Alhassan Atakpo - 0.