The majority of traditional political scientists consider that political parties are not usually unified. Internal schisms and divisions are typically sparked by divergent viewpoints and competition for party apparatus. If these are not effectively controlled, parties can split. The recent formation of offshoot groups from the Justice and Development Party in Turkey is a significant example.
All three of Ghana’s major political traditions have endured internal strife and, on occasion, party splits. Ideologically, the Danquah-Busia-Dombo, Nkrumahist, and Provisional National Defence Council/Rawlings lineages are distinct. The Provisional National Defence Council/Rawlings tradition embraces social democracy, but the Danquah-Busiasts adhere to property-owning democratic principles. The Nkrumahist organization is renowned for its socialist ideals rooted in Kwame Nkrumah’s worldview, Nkrumahism. Neocolonialism is abhorred by this tradition, which emphasizes self-reliance and pan-Africanism.
Since the 1940s, the broad traditions have persisted, although the parties within them are subject to conflict.
My research investigated the potential causes of factions and splits within Nkrumahist groups. I concentrated on the Convention People’s Party and the People’s National Convention and conducted interviews with current and former party technocrats, professors, and media professionals. In addition, I analyzed the literature on intraparty conflict, factionalism, and fragmentation in Ghana.
The fragmentation of parties impacts their electoral prospects. Frequently, political party fragmentation results in elite instability and voter distrust.
In 1949, the first report of intra-party conflict and splintering in Ghana was made. This is when Nkrumah and several United Gold Coast Convention youth wing members rebelled and formed the Convention Peoples Party. In Ghana, it marked the beginning of the Nkrumahist tradition.
In Ghana, the tradition has spawned the most factions over the years. In 1992, the People’s National Convention, the National Independence Party, the People’s Heritage Party, and the National Convention Party came into existence. The Progressive People’s Party and the All People’s Congress were both founded in 2012.
The Danquah-Busia tradition has also undergone divisions. The most destructive one occurred prior to the elections in 1979. The tradition, which had only recently recovered from a coup in 1972, split into two fighting factions, from which two parties ultimately emerged: the Popular Front Party and the United National Convention.
Disagreements within the Provisional National Defence Council-inspired National Democratic Congress led to the formation of offshoot parties such as the National Reform Party in 1992, the Democratic Freedom Party in 2006, and the National Democratic Party in 2012.
Despite the fact that the National Democratic Party and the New Patriotic Party have divisive tendencies, they have managed the challenges to maintain their political domination in Ghana. The Convention Peoples Party and the People’s National Convention, on the other hand, have failed to govern theirs.
The volatility within the Nkrumahist tradition can be attributed to three primary elements, as discovered by me.
First, there are indications of a personality cult, particularly among the “old guard.” These individuals have customized the party infrastructure and have been labeled as gatekeepers. Foster Abu Sakara, the 2012 Convention Peoples Party presidential candidate, stated this as the cause for his 2016 resignation from the party.
Second, the schisms are exacerbated by the political opportunism and patronage of some prominent party members. In Ghana, political figures such as Edward Nasigiri Mahama and Bernard Mornah of the People’s National Convention have benefited from political appointments from the country’s two largest parties. Convention Peoples Party members Kwabena Duffour and Freddie Blay have defected to the National Democratic Party and the New Patriotic Party, respectively. Hassan Ayariga, the People’s National Convention presidential candidate for 2012, is said to have defected to join the All People’s Congress after being suspected of having close ties to the National Democratic Congress.
Lastly, I discovered that in the past, ethnocentrism has impeded unity discussions between the People’s National Convention and the Convention Peoples Party. When an individual perceives the world through the lens of his or her own ethnic group, he or she is exhibiting ethnocentrism. In this manner, the People’s National Convention was perceived as a party whose membership was limited to the northern areas of Ghana, with little appeal to other regions of Ghana. As a strategy to build coalitions, the Convention Peoples Party has presented itself as authentic Nkrumahists while labeling the People’s National Convention as an offshoot.
The public discourse preceding the 2020 general election, as well as the current state of affairs, suggests that voters are somewhat weary of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party’s three-decade horse race. With national elections in Ghana scheduled for 2024 and less than two years away, the call for a third force is audible. But its viability continues to decline. The Nkrumahist parties’ frequent infighting and disintegration cast doubt on their ability to answer the call of Ghana’s electorate.
I suggest that the leaders of all Nkrumahist organizations revisit merger discussions in order to establish a unified front. Second, rather of focusing on political patronage, leaders should prioritize the development of effective and robust systems. In order to appeal to all segments of Ghana’s public, Nkrumahists must employ pragmatic political techniques.
»Before the 2024 elections, Ghana’s Nkrumahist parties keep separating«