Chief of Staff of the Dr Mahamudu Bawumia Campaign Team, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has cautioned that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) current leadership structure could create internal tensions if the party fails to review its constitutional provisions.
His remarks come as the NPP prepares to consider proposed constitutional amendments aimed at clarifying who should be recognised as the party’s leader.
Under the party’s current arrangement, the leadership role is associated with the National Chairman whether the party is in government or in opposition. However, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu believes the arrangement could become a source of conflict, particularly if the National Chairman and the party’s presidential candidate belong to different factions or support different candidates.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, he said some party members are advocating for a formal definition of the leadership role to prevent future disputes.
“We’ve had situations where the person who became the chairman may not have had the person who eventually became the presidential candidate as his candidate. So if you have such a situation, it’s a recipe for confusion and conflict in the party,” he said.
According to him, while some members believe the party should formally recognise its presidential candidate as its leader, others argue that the existing practice should remain unchanged, with no specific individual named in the party’s constitution.
“We leave it as it had been without naming whoever, but the generality of the people recognise that the presidential candidate is effectively the leader of the party de facto. Or do we formalise it? I think the party will have to think through what is the most appropriate,” he added.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu disclosed that the leadership proposal is among several constitutional amendments expected to be considered at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference scheduled for September 19, 2026, where delegates will also elect new national officers.
He explained that another proposal seeks to strengthen the responsibilities of polling station executives by assigning them the task of promoting the party’s political, social and economic programmes through house-to-house campaigns.
The proposed amendments would also require polling station executives to register party members during their outreach activities and establish reporting mechanisms to enable the party to accurately determine its grassroots membership strength.
According to him, the proposed reforms are intended to strengthen the party’s structures and support its long-term growth and development.
As part of the constitutional review process, the NPP has invited members to submit proposed amendments by July 17, 2026, ahead of the National Delegates Conference on September 19, where the proposals will be debated alongside the election of national executives.
