The Head of Legal Affairs of the United Party, Andrew Appiah-Danquah, says the party’s decision to break away from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was driven by concerns that the NPP prioritises internal party loyalty over national interest.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, June 20, Appiah-Danquah argued that certain past statements and decisions within the NPP point to a political culture where allegiance to the party is placed above loyalty to Ghana.
He cited remarks made in 2008 involving former NPP presidential aspirant Alan Kyerematen, in which party stalwart B.J. Da Rocha reportedly cautioned against his reintegration into the party after his exit.
According to him, the justification given was that if Mr. Kyerematen were ever forced to choose between Ghana and the NPP, he would choose Ghana.
Appiah-Danquah said such comments raise serious questions about the party’s values and its understanding of political responsibility, arguing that any political organisation that appears to elevate partisan loyalty above national interest risks undermining effective governance.
“You have a party that feels that their fidelity, their faithfulness, their loyalty, ought to be to the party as against Ghana. And that, for me, is something I discovered later, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why it was easy for us to leave.
“The reason why you ought to do politics is for Ghana first. So, where you have a major political party showing a spirit or showing a character that is adverse to the character of the country, then it’s a problem,” he said.
Alan Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry, resigned from the NPP in 2023 for the second time following internal disputes and what he described as unfair treatment within the party.
He subsequently launched the Movement for Change, which has now been rebranded as the United Party as part of efforts to broaden its national appeal ahead of the 2028 general elections.
