The Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has challenged the decision by former Acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Danquah Smith Buttey, to defer consideration of proposed constitutional amendments at the party’s National Delegates Conference.
According to Mr Osei Nyarko, the National Chairman did not have the unilateral authority to halt the consideration of the amendments once the matter had been approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Council (NC) and placed before the National Delegates Conference.
The controversy follows the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on October 3, 2026.
Ahead of the consideration of the proposed amendments, Mr Buttey announced that the exercise should be postponed to another conference, citing the limited time available for delegates to properly consider the proposals alongside the election of national executives.
However, the Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee proceeded to present the 14 proposed amendments to delegates, who subsequently approved them.
One of the most significant amendments changed the party’s leadership structure by providing for the elected presidential candidate to serve as the leader of the NPP when the party is in opposition. The amendment also provides that the President becomes party leader when the NPP is in government and no presidential candidate has yet been elected.
In a statement, Mr Osei Nyarko argued that if Mr Buttey had objections to the conference considering the amendments, he should have formally moved a motion before the delegates for them to determine the matter.
“If Chairman Smith Danquah Buttey had any issues with the decision of the conference to consider those proposed amendments which was approved by both NEC & NC which he personally chaired those meetings he should have come through a motion to conference so that a decision would have been taken by conference.”
The Akyem Swedru MP maintained that the National Delegates Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the NPP and that its decisions cannot be overridden by an individual party officer.
He therefore questioned the basis on which Mr Buttey sought to postpone the amendments without first seeking a decision from the conference.
“By the party’s constitution, the decision of conference is the highest within the party structures and therefore no individual decisions being it the National Chairman or the FB can supersede the decision of conference,” Mr Osei Nyarko stated.
His position is consistent with Article 10 of the NPP Constitution, which describes the National Delegates Conference as the party’s supreme governing body. The constitution also provides that constitutional amendments are to be made at the National Delegates Conference, subject to specified procedural requirements and the approval of at least two-thirds of delegates voting.
Mr Osei Nyarko further argued that Mr Buttey’s role in the process was particularly significant because he had chaired the NEC and National Council meetings at which the proposals were considered and approved.
He therefore contended that any objection to the amendments should have been formally presented to the conference rather than being resolved through a unilateral directive.
“It seems most people don’t understand how the NPP constitution operates when it comes to decision makings within the party,” he said.
The MP insisted that the authority of the National Delegates Conference supersedes that of individual officers when the conference is properly constituted and exercising powers assigned to it under the party’s constitution.
“We must note that the highest decision making body of the NPP is Conference and nothing more,” he added.
The disagreement has opened a broader debate within the NPP over the respective powers of the National Chairman and the National Delegates Conference in determining the party’s affairs.
Mr Buttey has defended his decision, arguing that the amendments should have been deferred because delegates did not have sufficient time to study and deliberate on them while the national executive elections were also taking place. He has subsequently questioned the authority of those who proceeded with the amendments despite his directive.
The former Acting National Chairman has particularly criticised the role of Anthony Abayifaa Karbo, who was involved in proceedings at the conference, questioning his authority to overturn the directive.
The amendments, however, were presented by the Chairman of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Frank Davies, and subsequently approved by the delegates.
Beyond the leadership question, the conference approved several other changes, including provisions affecting national and regional party structures, voting rights at the National Delegates Conference, communications officers, information technology officers and the number and mode of selection of national vice-chairpersons.
The dispute over the procedure adopted at the conference has therefore added another dimension to the debate surrounding the NPP’s constitutional changes, with Mr Osei Nyarko insisting that the ultimate authority rested with the delegates assembled at the conference rather than with any individual party officer.
By 1960news.com
