NPP scores ‘F’ after 5 months in opposition—Academics cite weak party leadership

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has received a failing grade in its performance as an opposition party in the first five months following the 2024 general election, according to a detailed academic assessment conducted by the Ghana Academic Professionals Forum (GAPF). 

Dr. Frank Bannor, a leading member of the Forum, revealed during a press briefing that the NPP scored an overall weighted mark of 43%, equivalent to a grade “F” by academic standards.

The assessment covered seven performance indicators including party reorganization, communication, policy alternatives, parliamentary oversight, public mobilization, alliances, and fundraising. While the NPP’s Minority in Parliament scored highly in parliamentary oversight—earning 16 out of 20 points—the rest of the party’s structures underperformed significantly.

“The strongest link in the NPP since January has been its Minority in Parliament,” Dr. Bannor stated. “Ironically, this is one of the smallest NPP minorities in recent history, yet their effectiveness far outweighs that of previous larger groups.”

In contrast, the national party machinery scored poorly: reorganization of party structures (6 out of 15), communication and public engagement (6 out of 20), policy alternatives and shadow governance (3 out of 15), public mobilization (5 out of 10), alliance and stakeholder engagement (3 out of 10), and fundraising and sustainability (4 out of 10).

Dr. Bannor described the party’s inability to pay staff and utilities just months after exiting government as “shameful,” citing it as evidence of poor planning and weak institutional sustainability. “This tells us the party did not plan adequately for opposition. Till date, we haven’t seen any tangible steps toward restructuring,” he noted.

The Forum urged the party to launch urgent reforms, particularly in areas such as communication strategy, policy clarity, and internal coordination. Dr. Bannor compared the current NPP structure to that of the NDC during its opposition years, saying, “You saw the NDC party communicating through its General Secretary and Communications Director. The NPP, however, has had to rely on its parliamentary group to respond to national issues.”

He also criticized the national leadership’s public invisibility, noting that during the party’s official response to the President’s State of the Nation Address, it was the Minority Leader—not the Communications Director or Party Chairman—who delivered the speech. “Where is the General Secretary? Where is the National Organizer?” he asked pointedly.

The Forum emphasized that without the Minority Caucus, the NPP would be effectively voiceless. “This is not the party we used to know. A party once branded as the home of intellectuals has gone silent. Where are the men?” Dr. Bannor queried.

The GAPF concluded that while the Minority’s performance was commendable, the national party leadership must take immediate action to rebuild credibility and present itself as a viable alternative to the governing NDC.