Dr. Charles Dwamena, popularly known as Dr. China and the National Treasurer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has strongly rejected a proposal by Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong advocating for a top-down approach to the party’s presidential primaries.
Mr. Agyepong, a former General Secretary of the party, recently suggested that the NPP could adopt a new process whereby the selection of a presidential candidate would begin with the top leadership, rather than through the party’s traditional grassroots channels.
Dr. Dwamena described the suggestion as a fundamental threat to the internal democratic processes of the party, warning that such a shift would undermine the participatory character that defines the NPP.
“The strength of our party lies in its base. Our current structure ensures that every level of the electoral college—from polling station executives to national leadership—is democratically elected from the level below. Any attempt to reverse that order amounts to bypassing the very foundation of our legitimacy,” he stated.
He emphasized that even minor adjustments to the electoral college, such as increasing the number of polling station executives, would require comprehensive elections across all tiers—polling stations, electoral areas, constituencies, regions, and the national level.
According to Dr. Dwamena, this framework is not just procedural but constitutional. With the mandate of the current electoral college nearing expiration, he insisted it would be both legally and morally indefensible for it to select a new flagbearer without renewed elections.
“To initiate the process from the top as suggested would be tantamount to an undemocratic coronation. It contradicts the very principles of representation and inclusion that the NPP was built upon,” he said.
Describing the debate as more than a procedural disagreement, Dr China framed it as a philosophical divide between centralised control and democratic participation.
“The NPP’s enduring strength comes from listening to its grassroots. To silence that voice is to weaken the entire structure,” he warned.
He called for the party to remain anchored in its democratic roots, stating that reinforcing the system—not bypassing it—is the only way to preserve the integrity and unity of the NPP.
