The Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Anthony Namoo, has renewed calls for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCES) on a partisan basis as part of Ghana’s ongoing constitutional review process.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement organized by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) in Bolgatanga, Lawyer Namoo described the current mode of appointing MMDCEs by the President as a system that fuels intra-party conflict, centralizes excessive power in the presidency, and weakens participatory governance at the grassroots.
Citing the abandoned 2019 referendum effort by the Akufo-Addo administration—intended to amend Article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution to allow for partisan elections of MMDCEs—Mr. Namoo said that consensus is now building again and must be acted upon.
“In 2019, President Nana Akufo-Addo had the courage to push for it, but there wasn’t enough national consensus. It’s time we revisit it. Electing MMDCEs on a partisan basis would be the best way forward for Ghana,” Lawyer Namoo argued.
He noted that the current system has encouraged winner-takes-all politics and has led to divisiveness within political parties due to opaque appointments while discouraging hard work at the grassroots.
“Some party members don’t work during elections because they know they can lobby their way into appointments. With elections, everyone from the polling station level to the MP will work harder,” he added.
The NPP Chairman also pointed out that making the MMDCE position elective would help reduce the monetization of politics, stating that the burden of campaign financing often falls on a few individuals, leading to internal rancor.
On the oft-raised concern of potential friction between a president and an opposition-aligned MMDCE, Mr. Namoo dismissed it, saying healthy political competition would rather enhance development.
“Even now, assembly members are supposed to be non-partisan, but we all know they come from political camps and still work together. So let’s not fear opposition MMDCEs. If they fail to cooperate, their people will vote them out,” he said.
He also recounted some violent instances stemming from MMDCE appointments in the region, including Navrongo and Binduri, where internal disputes over nominations led to chaos.
“We’ve had cases where the confirmation process led to people being beaten. If MMDCEs are elected, it will eliminate this confusion and violence,” he stressed.
Lawyer Namoo concluded his submission by emphasizing that democracy must evolve, and giving the people power to choose their local leaders through elections is a step in the right direction.
“After 30 years of constitutional democracy, we shouldn’t be afraid to let the people decide. It’s only about 300 positions—this won’t cripple the President’s power. It will rather make the system fairer and more accountable.”
The Constitution Review Committee is holding regional engagements across the country to gather citizen input on possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution. The Upper East engagement was held at the Akayet Hotel in Bolgatanga on June 16, 2025.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
