Growing monetization and transactional mechanics within Ghanaian political parties threaten to disenfranchise party bases and weaken democratic accountability, NDC National Chairmanship aspirant Dr. Akwasi Opong-Fosu warned.
In a recent interview on TV3’s Hot Issues, the veteran politician described a widening disconnect between executive party structures, appointees in government, and local branch workers who perform critical field operations during election cycles.
Dr. Opong-Fosu, who began his public service career as an activist and student leader before being appointed District Secretary at age 24, highlighted his long history of grassroots mobilization.
Having initiated major municipal development programs in Obuasi—such as the Adansi District Hospital, Obuasi Central Market and Lenclay Stadium rehabilitations—without personal enrichment, he presents his civil service record as proof of principled, base-focused leadership.
Dr. Opong-Fosu has likened forgotten grassroots organizers to military horses.
“When there is victory and the generals and the top hierarchy are celebrating, the horses are back in the stable till another time that they go to war,” he remarked, calling for structural reforms to institutionalize base participation.
Addressing internal financial practices, Dr. Opong-Fosu drew a sharp distinction between routine logistical assistance for delegates and formal financial negotiations for votes.
He warned that candidates who rely on external financial backers to influence party elections compromise their independence while in office.
“Once politics becomes transactional, systems break down,” Opong-Fosu said.
“It is who is able to influence things because they have the means and the resources.”
To counter this trend, Opong-Fosu proposed constructing a centralized skills and demographic database of all party branch members.
Leveraging his expertise in public policy and database-driven governance, he argued that institutionalized tracking would ensure merit-based appointments, equitable access to opportunities, and structured leadership development rather than reliance on political patronage.