The NPP’s choice of Alexander Afenyo-Markin, a member of parliament (MP) for the Effutu, as the majority leader was not made only on the basis of geographic representation, according to Dr. Frank Bannor, the head of research at the Danquah Institute (DI).
The move, he said, was more intended to support the party’s activities in the Central Region.
Speaking on Saturday, February 24, at the Forum on Asaase 99.5, Bannor stated that rather than just selecting a leader from the Central Region, the main objective is to make sure that the NPP keeps its promises to the people of that region.
“I believe the issue is more about the NPP as a party doing the right things in the Central Region than it is about appointing a leader who is from the Central Region,” he stated.
He emphasized how critical it is to evaluate the party’s performance and fulfillment of commitments made to the area since 2016.
Bannor pushed for reflection among the party’s members, highlighting the need to assess their performance history and correct any inadequacies in keeping promises made to voters in the Central Region.
“How will the NPP rate itself with the Central Region if you are using a tracker or indicator to measure performance and output in terms of promises made to the good people of the Central Region? That is one of the important questions that we, along with the majority leadership and the NPP leadership, ought to be asking ourselves.
Bannor emphasized that, although having a Central Region Majority Leader is important, it is not a guarantee of electoral success on its own.
He emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach that goes beyond symbolic appointments, stressing the value of practical measures in the selection of candidates and active participation in the political process.
Bannor said, “I don’t think that you are going to maybe retake or recover all that maybe you might have missed out on or lost out in the Central Region just because you appointed a Majority Leader from the Central Region.”
“To win the trust of the people in the Central Region, it takes more than just appointing a Majority Leader who is from the region; as I mentioned earlier, there has to be a systematic step; there have to be pragmatic steps in terms of the selection of parliamentary candidates in the Central Region.”
