A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dankwa Smith Butey has launched an attack on the party’s National Executives, accusing them of cowardice and incompetence in the lead-up to the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking during an interview with Sompa FM, Dankwa Smith dismissed attempts by some executives to shift blame solely onto former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He questioned why the same leaders who now point fingers at Akufo-Addo remained silent when the former president was allegedly taking actions that were evidently harming the party.
“They claim Akufo-Addo made us lose but as national executives, when Akufo-Addo was doing the things that made us lose, what did you tell him?” he asked pointedly.
According to him, the national executives had a responsibility to provide checks and guidance for the leadership of the party but failed to do so.
He argued that they abandoned their duties, allowed Akufo-Addo to go unchecked, and now want to blame him for the consequences.
“You were silent and after what he did affected the party, you come and blame him? The executives must accept that they made the NPP lose the election,” he charged.
He further noted that the failure of the party to “break the eight” was not solely the fault of one man, but a collective result of failed leadership and poor decision-making at the top.
He emphasized that the party leadership had the power and responsibility to intervene if Akufo-Addo was veering off course.
“We brought the party to power, so if the person who was leading was going wayward and we could not whip him in line, then what kind of leaders are we?” he asked.
He ended with a strong appeal to NPP members across the country, urging them not to support or vote for any of the current national executives should they seek re-election or contest any future party position.
“Please NPP members, vote against any national executive who will contest for any position,” he said.
Butey’s comments add to the growing internal wrangling within the NPP as the party begins post-election soul-searching following its inability to retain power in the 2024 elections.
