Hassan Tampuli, Member of Parliament for Gushegu, has reiterated the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) dedication to its national identity, warning against efforts to cast the party in ethnic or religious terms. Addressing a political gathering in Gushegu in support of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign, Mr. Tampuli underscored that the NPP was established on the values of inclusivity, national cohesion, and broad-based participation, rather than sectional interests.
He emphasized that Ghana’s political history and constitutional framework firmly reject discrimination on the basis of tribe, religion, or region, stressing that the NPP’s philosophical foundations are rooted in these principles. The Gushegu MP noted that the party’s origins are closely linked to pivotal moments in the nation’s constitutional and political evolution, beginning with the passage of the Avoidance of Discrimination Act in 1957 under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government. He explained that this Act prohibited the formation of sectional, tribal, and religious political parties—a principle later reaffirmed in Article 55(4) of the 1992 Constitution
Mr. Tampuli traced the origins of the NPP to a broad coalition of political movements, including the National Liberation Movement, Northern People’s Party, Togoland Congress, Muslim Action Party, and the Ga Shifimo Kpee Party. He said these groups later merged to form the United Party, which eventually evolved into the New Patriotic Party.
He warned against what he described as attempts by “little minds” to distort the party’s history or advance narrow agendas that undermine its cohesion and national appeal, insisting that the NPP would resist any effort to turn it into an ethnic or religious organisation.
“Let’s not make a mistake. The NPP party is a national party. In December 1957, the Nkrumah government passed the Avoidance of Discrimination Act, in which Parliament outlawed sectional, tribal, and religious parties. This was repeated in the 1992 Constitution under Article 55 (4), which says that every political party should be national in character. The NPP will continue to remain a national party,” he said.
Source: Hanson Agyemang
