Renowned heart surgeon and former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has launched a scathing critique of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), insisting the party has drifted far from the principles on which it was founded.
Speaking on The Point of View on Channel One TV on Monday, January 12, Prof Frimpong-Boateng said the present-day NPP does not reflect the party he once belonged to.
“The present NPP is not NPP. It is fake. From what I see now, this is not the NPP I used to know,” he stated.
Asked whether he still considers himself a member of the party, the former minister distanced himself from what he described as the current leadership and direction of the NPP.
“Not the fake one. The real one is there. It is a virtual thing. The members are in the background,” he said.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng expressed serious concern about the party’s internal democratic processes, particularly the election of its most recent flagbearer. He alleged that the process was tainted by undue influence, including bribery and intimidation of delegates.
“Look at how they elected their last flagbearer — twisting people’s arms, bribing delegates and intimidating others. This is the beginning of corruption. This should not be allowed in any serious institution or party,” he argued.
According to him, these internal failures contributed significantly to the NPP’s heavy defeat in the last general elections. He added that the party has failed to confront the root causes of that loss.
“We lost the elections badly, yet we have not dealt with the issues that led to the defeat. If they go back to elect the old flagbearer, it will be a train wreck,” he warned.
When pressed on whether his comments were aimed at the party’s flagbearer, former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Prof Frimpong-Boateng clarified that his criticism was broader.
“No, no, no. Bawumia is a very nice person, but being nice alone is not enough to lead Nkrumah’s Ghana,” he said.
