Physician and political activist Dr Arthur Kennedy has cautioned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against what he describes as potentially damaging consequences of its new rule requiring appointees to resign at least six months before contesting internal party positions.
Appearing on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 31, Dr Kennedy said that while the policy may have been designed to promote fairness and discipline, its long-term effects could unintentionally weaken the party’s structure. He warned that both the party and affected individuals might later regret enforcing the directive.
According to him, political rules should not only be judged by intent but by how they function in practice. He expressed concern that compelling capable appointees to step aside prematurely could deprive the party and government of valuable experience at a critical time, especially as preparations toward the 2028 elections intensify.
Dr Kennedy also raised questions about how the rule would be applied across different party roles. He cited the position of flag bearer as a grey area, noting that although the role ultimately leads to a national contest, it remains an internal party position. In his view, this blurs the line on who exactly the policy targets.
Drawing on historical precedent, he compared the situation to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) experience ahead of the 2008 elections, when several government appointees resigned to pursue party ambitions. He argued that the NPP gained little from those resignations and suggested the NDC risks repeating a similar mistake.
He further challenged claims that board chairpersons and members should find it easy to resign because their roles are supposedly not demanding. Dr Kennedy described such arguments as simplistic and disconnected from the realities of governance in Ghana.
Responding to comments made by Mr Tanko Computer, he explained that board positions often involve continuous engagement beyond formal meetings. He noted that board members regularly handle requests for intervention and maintain close interaction with management, making the roles far more demanding than they appear.
Dr Kennedy concluded that assuming a board member’s responsibilities end after attending meetings underestimates the workload involved, stressing that policies built on such assumptions could end up constraining the party unnecessarily.
