Media personality Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah has questioned the move to give New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia extensive powers under proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.
Afrifa-Mensah argued that making the flagbearer the supreme leader of the New Patriotic Party could concentrate too much power in one person.
“We can’t give all the powers to one person. There must be checks and balances. Let’s take a second look at the amendment again,” he said on Neat FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
His concerns also featured in his defence of outgoing Acting National Chairman Danquah Smith Butey during the NPP National Delegates Conference in Kumasi.
Afrifa Mensah criticised party figures who, he said, disregarded Butey’s directive to postpone the constitutional amendments so delegates would have enough time to study them.
He argued that bypassing a sitting chairman’s authority could weaken the party’s internal structures and set a precedent that could eventually affect Bawumia himself.
According to Afrifa Mensah, the same structures being undermined today could be used against the flagbearer in the future.
Despite his concerns about the concentration of power in the flagbearer’s office, Afrifa Mensah later said he would campaign heavily for Bawumia.
“It’s only a fool who never changes his mind. I will campaign heavily for Dr Bawumia and aim to secure 95% of the vote in my constituency,” he said.
