The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Tia Kabiru Mahama, has described the decision by Alan Kyerematen’s newly formed political movement to adopt the name United Party as a “calculated act of mischief” aimed at misleading the public and distorting Ghana’s political history.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Friday, October 17, the NPP MP argued that the choice of name is “problematic,” as it draws directly from the historical roots of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which traces its lineage to the United Party (UP) tradition formed in 1957.
“The United Party is part of the tradition of the New Patriotic Party. When Ghana attained independence, the Northern People’s Party, the National Liberation Movement, the Togoland Congress, and the Anlo Youth Association came together to form the United Party after the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act.
“So this is the genesis of the United Party, so you cannot dissolve the history of the New Patriotic Party from the United Party. …So when you are talking about the United Party, you are talking about the New Patriotic Party, even though this party [United Party] was dissolved in 1964, so we have every reason to be concerned,” he said.
Dr. Kabiru stressed that the NPP has every reason to be concerned about the new party’s choice of name, saying it appears to be an intentional move to ride on the legacy of the UP tradition.
“The coincidence is too much to the fact that the party was formed on the 13th of October 1965, and this party [United Party] is also coming in October 2025.
“So I think it’s a calculated mischief by the founders of this party and I think the laws of the country must stop such mischief,” he said.,” he said.
When asked whether the NPP has any legal claim to the name, Mr. Kabiru maintained that the Political Parties Act provides grounds for the Electoral Commission [EC] to reject any name likely to cause confusion or bear close resemblance to an existing political identity.
“..That is why we think the law would have to be made clear that if I have a name and the name is part of my tradition, and though it’s not our official name, I don’t think it’s proper for anyone to use such a name,” he said.
The lawmaker insisted that the NPP will defend its historical legacy and ensure that no political group distorts its roots for political advantage.
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