Newly elected National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, says the position of party chairman should not automatically come with the status of leader, arguing that all elected executives are servants entrusted with the responsibility of serving the party.
His comments follow the NPP’s recent amendment to its constitution, 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 existing constitutional arrangement had served the party since 1992 and questioned the need to alter the 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.
He cited the principle often associated with the United States that systems should not be changed unnecessarily when they are functioning effectively.
“Americans always say that if a system is not broken, we don’t fix it. So that thing about making the chairman a leader just because of one person, I felt it was unnecessary, and we shouldn’t have gone there,” he said.
Mr Boadu maintained that the effectiveness of a national chairman should be judged by how well the person performs the responsibilities of the office, rather than whether the chairman is formally recognised as the party’s 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.
He added that his focus, whether the NPP is in opposition or in government, would be on delivering on the mandate given to him by the party.
“So whether in opposition or power, my focus is on the job I have been given,” he said.
Mr Boadu further suggested that the NPP could have avoided the current debate over its leadership structure if its existing structures had been maintained.
“If they had listened to me, we wouldn’t have been here, because the existing party structures were there, and if we’re back to do this, it shouldn’t be a problem at all,” he said.
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