Former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has cautioned members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against promoting the idea that the party’s presidential candidate must always come from the Akan ethnic group.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Monday, October 6, 2025, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu described such sentiments as “dangerous” and a serious threat to the unity and long-term survival of the party.
“Some people even say that because the party’s support base is Akan, we should fill it with an Akan person. To me, that is the most dangerous statement,” he warned.
The veteran lawmaker argued that limiting leadership selection to a particular ethnic group would alienate other communities and damage the NPP’s credibility as a national political party.
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He stressed that such ethnocentric views could particularly harm the party’s ability to campaign effectively in northern and Muslim communities, where inclusivity and representation are highly valued.
“If you insist on always having an Akan as your presidential candidate, can you go to the Muslim communities in the North to campaign when you think that they don’t deserve to lead the party?” he questioned.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu urged NPP members to uphold the party’s founding principles of unity and diversity, warning that divisive rhetoric could undermine the NPP’s national appeal.
“That is why I’m saying that this is a very dangerous statement and should not be encouraged at all,” he emphasised.
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