A delegation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has walked out of the ongoing National Delegates Conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), citing what it described as poor organisation and significant delays in the commencement of the programme. The delegation, led by Deputy National Women Organiser Dzifa Tsegah, said it arrived at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi at about 9:30 a.m., despite the programme being scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. However, by 2:00 p.m., the event had still not commenced.
Speaking to the media, Ms Tsegah expressed frustration over what she described as inadequate communication and coordination by the organisers. She said the delegation had expected the programme to begin shortly after 9:00 a.m., but was concerned that several hours had passed without any clear indication of when proceedings would start.
According to Ms Tsegah, the conference flyer indicated that the programme was expected to end by 1:00 p.m., yet voting had not begun even after that time. She noted that delegates and representatives from various regions had travelled to Kumasi and were left waiting at the venue without clear information.
“We are here to give our solidarity message. We have a lot of things to do,” she said, adding that she had contacted some of her counterparts within the NPP, but there appeared to be confusion over the programme. She further complained that there was no central point of communication to provide information on when the conference would begin or when representatives of the various political parties would be allowed to deliver their solidarity messages.
Ms Tsegah said the situation raised concerns about the NPP’s ability to effectively organise its affairs as an opposition party. She stressed, however, that Ghana needed a strong opposition to strengthen democratic governance and ensure effective checks on the government.
“We are here as brothers because outside Ghana, we are one,” she said, expressing hope that the NPP’s internal elections would produce leadership capable of strengthening the party’s role in Ghana’s democracy. The NDC delegation eventually left the venue due to other pressing engagements. Ms Tsegah said, however, that she hoped the delegation’s solidarity message would be conveyed to the NPP through the media.
