In the aftermath of the 2025 NPP Annual National Delegates Conference, where the Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, had the honour of addressing delegates and the wider nation, many Ghanaians—across party lines, sectors, and even national borders—have expressed deep appreciation for the message he delivered. From grassroots members to seasoned statesmen, from our party youth to political analysts in Ghana and the diaspora, the overwhelming sentiment has been one of hope, reflection, and resolve.
It is within this context that I read the opinion article by Dr. Moses Deyegbe Kuvoame, featured on modernghana.com—not as a sincere contribution to national dialogue, but as a deeply regrettable expression of partisanship and intellectual elitism. Rather than fostering unity or promoting critical reflection, the article resorts to condescension and ethnic undertones that must be condemned for the harm they do to constructive public discourse and our collective national cohesion.
The article seeks to question the legitimacy and vision behind Hon. Afenyo-Markin’s inspiring speech at the recent NPP National Delegates Conference—a speech that called the party to unity, self-reflection, and a return to its core values of inclusiveness, service, and national development.
Let us be clear: The Minority Leader’s speech was not political theatre as is being described by the author. It was a call to unity. It was a challenge to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to confront our realities, acknowledge the pain of our people, have hope of victory again and recommit ourselves to our founding ideals. That such a message, grounded in historical truth, national interest, and democratic responsibility, would be so casually dismissed as “revisionism” by Dr. Kuvoame, is not only disappointing, but telling.
The Strength of the Speech: Its Moral Imperative
His speech drew from the best of political tradition—both Ghanaian and global. Referencing leaders like Narendra Modi was not to mimic, but to mirror a global truth: that political renewal demands clarity, courage, and conviction, and that rebuilding a party is possible. If Dr. Kuvoame had listened with an open mind rather than a partisan pen, he would have heard the substance of his message.
It is convenient for him to reduce a 24-minute address—praised even by non-NPP stalwarts—as mere deflection. But facts are sacred. And the truth, as always, is nuanced. Osahen Afenyo-Markin’s message acknowledged that governance over the past eight years occurred under unprecedented global and domestic shocks. Yet, despite this, the NPP delivered: Free SHS, 1D1F, digital innovation, industrial infrastructure, health sector expansion, and road projects in all corners of Ghana.
To say the NPP laid no foundation is to insult not just the party—but the people whose lives were impacted. That is not critique; that is contempt. Many of the interventions we started, and the foundations they laid, are now being touted by the NDC as their own achievements. That is totally unacceptable.
On Ethnicity and Inclusivity
The charge that his comments on unity—”We are not Akyem, Ashanti, Fante, Mamprusi, Ga or Ewe; we are NPP”—were disingenuous is both sad and ironic. For years, critics accused the NPP of lacking diversity. Yet when voices like Afenyo-Markin’s rise within the party, they are reduced to “optics” by academics who should know better.
Afenyo-Markin himself is a proud Effutu and Anlo man, a proud Ghanaian, and a committed NPP patriot. His rise is not a token placement. It is the result of years of hard work, service, and sacrifice. That, too, is part of the Ghana story.
In fact, the argument that the NPP is inherently Akan in character and dismissive of other ethnic groups is not only flawed but historically inaccurate. The party’s foundation was built on the vision of leaders from diverse ethnic and regional backgrounds—S. D. Dombo from the North, J. B. Danquah from the East, and Kofi Abrefa Busia who hailed from Wenchi. These men shared a common commitment to democratic values, national development, and the decentralisation of power.
Again, in the 2024 elections, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party was neither from the Eastern nor Ashanti Regions, yet he led the party. Is this a party that has sidelined non-Akan voices and failed to reflect Ghana’s true ethnic diversity in leadership?
We will not build a nation by weaponising ethnicity or trivialising inclusion. We will build it when we celebrate diverse voices and challenge outdated narratives from people like you who should know better. That is what his speech sought to do.
On Osahen Afenyo-Markin’s Record in Parliament
Dr. Kuvoame suggests that Afenyo-Markin enabled excesses and turned Parliament into a rubber stamp. The record speaks for itself: as Majority Leader and now as Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin has never shied away from difficult debates, bipartisan cooperation, or holding the Executive accountable. Indeed, his support for national policies has always been guided by conscience, not convenience.
To portray his parliamentary record in such a skewed and prejudiced manner is most unfortunate and unworthy of serious analysis. The same Parliament that passed critical reforms—many with unanimous support—was also a chamber of fierce checks and balances under his leadership.
As Minority Leader, he has not obstructed government business in any way. Rather, he has constructively critiqued the government, as is expected of him in a functioning democracy. Through these critiques and consistent advocacy, the government has, on numerous occasions, been compelled to review certain decisions and take action on matters of national importance.
Your baseless attacks will not distract him from his duty to the people of Ghana.
The Way Forward: Ghana Deserves Better Politics
This country deserves a better quality of disagreement. Let us disagree—fiercely, even—but let us do so with honesty, context, and good faith. The challenges Ghana faces are real. But so is our collective capacity to rise above them.
The Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, will continue to use his voice not to distract, but to direct—to remind the NPP of its mission, to keep national interest above political convenience, and to speak uncomfortable truths even when they provoke discomfort.
Let me be clear: the NDC will not be allowed to rewrite the narrative of its first months in office through academic proxies. Ghanaians are watching. And the Ghanaian people, more than any professor or politician, will be the true judges of performance, integrity, and vision.
To those who heard his speech and found courage: let us rise together. To those who disagreed: let us debate with respect, not disdain. And to those who wish to distort: the facts will remain, unshaken.
Ghana deserves better — and that includes better public discourse.
Kwaku Barnes,
A Concerned Ghanaian
Email: [email protected]
