President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has kicked against moves to amend the New Patriotic Party’s constitution to bar members with dual citizenship from holding party positions.
President Akufo-Addo predicted doom on the party if delegates at an ongoing conference in Kumasi go ahead to adopt the motion.
Speaking to delegates on Sunday, a visibly passionate-looking president warned the party to withdraw the idea because it will end up digging its own grave ahead of the 2020 elections.
“I am against it,” Akufo-Addo stressed to a loud cheer. “It’s a disaster.”
The parliamentary caucus of the party is pushing for members with dual citizenship to be barred from holding party positions. NPP members in the diaspora have been up in arms against the move threatening to stop funding the party.
Some members have described the motion as “inconceivable” and an “albatross”. However, Caucus said its decision is in line with the country’s 1992 constitution whose Citizenship Act bars dual citizens from holding political office.
“We know the president is in support of an Amendment Bill proposed by Dr Kwaku Asare and his team. We have submitted same to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader, Attorney General and the minority in parliament.
“This Bill does not cost this country anything and we see no reason why it should be held for this long without passage,” a statement from the US branch of the NPP said.
President Akufo-Addo also entreated the delegates to vote against another motion seeking to make it mandatory for MPs to appoint party executives at the constituency level. “We don’t need that amendment,” he pointed out. Also, he was against another motion “For the flagbearer of the party to be considered as the leader of the party.”
He advised the party to come out strong with one voice and must not allow any division to eat into their space since that could spell doom for the party going into the next general election.
All the three controversial motions were withdrawn after Akufo-Addo’s appeal.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
