A former Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Crabbe, has announced his intention to contest the position of national chairman in the party’s next internal elections.
His announcement comes amid concerns raised by the party’s Council of Elders, led by Chairman Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, over ongoing campaigns by party executives, members and sympathisers following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.
The council described these campaigns as counterproductive to the rebuilding efforts of the party.
Speaking on Point Blank on Eyewitness News, Sammy Crabbe explained that while he has not begun active campaigning, he believes there is nothing wrong with expressing his interest in the role when the time is right.
“I have expressed an interest. Come 2026, I will want to run as national chairman, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am not campaigning; I have not gone out there talking to executives. Some people have already expressed their desire to contest the next primaries. So, it is advisory, but I don’t think I should be gagged from expressing my interest in contesting,” he stated.
NPP now a weak party
He also attributed the party’s defeat in the 2024 general polls to its weakened internal structure and lack of cohesion, highlighting disillusionment among party members as a critical factor in the NPP’s struggles.
He emphasised that the party’s failure to align its gains in government with the aspirations of grassroots members has eroded loyalty and motivation.
“If somebody does not believe that whatever the party gains in government will benefit him or her, there is no way they will wake up in the morning and go and sacrifice. They must believe that there is something in it for them.
“You cannot just keep kicking the can down the road, thinking it’s going to be okay. That is not going to work,” he stated.
Mr. Crabbe further criticised the perceived disconnect between party leaders and the grassroots.
“When [the members] see you going about in air-conditioned vehicles and then you ask them to wait, they are not going to continue anymore. So, it is because the party is weak,” he added.
The NPP was defeated by the National Democratic Congress in the December 7, 2024, general elections, losing both the presidential race and a significant number of parliamentary seats.
The party now holds only 88 seats in parliament.