Political analysts and party activists are calling on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to confront what they describe as “Entrenchment Theory” within its leadership ranks, warning that unchecked internal consolidation could undermine the party’s effectiveness ahead of future elections.
In a statement released by Razak Kojo Opoku of the UP Tradition Institute, he outlined the risks associated with entrenched political actors. According to the statement, such individuals or groups consolidate power to resist outside influence, maintain positions of authority, and prioritize personal or factional interests over the collective welfare of the party.
“These actors adopt strategies that undermine competitors, making change difficult and costly, even when they perform poorly at the polls or fail to secure parliamentary seats in key regions,” the statement noted.
The statement warned that such practices create artificial barriers to change, preserve status at the expense of party cohesion, and perpetuate self-interest over the public good. Opoku emphasized that the NPP cannot continue to operate under what he described as a “38.2-degree Celsius fever,” signaling a party under intense internal strain.
Opoku urged for a renewal within the party to replace entrenched actors with leaders who prioritize the collective interests of the party and strengthen its electoral competitiveness.
Political observers note that calls for internal reform are growing amid heightened scrutiny of party structures and leadership dynamics, with activists and analysts alike emphasizing the need for accountability, transparency, and merit-based leadership selection.
Below is his position:
Save NPP from Entrenchment Theorists
There is a recipe for chaos when a leader is surrounded by people with Entrenchment Theory.
The Entrenchment Theory involves:
1. Individuals or groups within the political establishment who consolidate their powers and authority to resist outside influence even at the expense of the overall party or public good.
2. Political actors who make themselves indispensable in order to maintain their positions and personal interests.
3. Political Actors who adopt strategies that undermine their competitors, and make it difficult as well as costly to remove them even if they become less effective, recording zeros at polling stations, and obtaining zero parliamentary seats in some regions.
4. Political Actors who act in their own self-interest, aiming to preserve their positions, preserve their status, and preserve their authority at the detriment of the collective interests of the Party.
5. Political Actors who create artificial barriers to change or replacement, aims at safeguarding their selfish interests at the detriment of collective interests.
However, it is time for the Change of “Entrenchment Political Actors” within the New Patriotic Party(NPP). The Party cannot continue to suffer under 38.2 degree Celsius, this is a high temperature or fever.
Issued by: Razak Kojo Opoku
UP Tradition Institute
