Johnson Ayine, an aspiring Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region, has called on the party to end the frequent change of parliamentary candidates in the region.
Mr. Ayine explained that consistency in candidate selection is crucial if the party hopes to improve its electoral performance. He urged party leadership to adopt a more stable approach in presenting candidates, stressing that constant changes have negatively affected the party’s fortunes.
The NPP’s performance in the Upper East Region has declined steadily over the years. After securing four parliamentary seats in 2012, the party’s representation dropped to two in 2016 and further to one seat in 2020.
In the 2024 general elections, the situation worsened as the National Democratic Congress (NDC), through its “Agenda 15-15” campaign aimed at winning all 15 constituencies in the region, succeeded in capturing the NPP’s last remaining seat. This marks the party’s poorest performance in the region in the past decade.
Mr. Ayine believes that reversing this downward trend will require deliberate efforts, including maintaining consistency in candidate selection. He emphasized that the frequent replacement of candidates undermines voter confidence and weakens the party’s chances during elections.
“The NPP needs to consistently put in a candidate who will not rest and will have to be seen for a long time. When you have a situation where you frequently change candidates and immediately the candidate loses election, because of the gap, the candidate becomes demoralized and is like he is almost giving up. So, when you give up, you cannot be visible or be in touch with the people and you are waiting until the elections, then you will not make it.”
