Policy analyst and senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Joshua Zaato, has questioned former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, over his description of the New Patriotic Party NPP as fake.
Dr Zaato raised concerns about when Professor Frimpong Boateng formed the view that the party was fake and why he has remained a member if he truly believes that.
Speaking during a political discussion a TV3 , Dr Zaato drew a clear line between Professor Frimpong Boateng as a respected cardiologist and scientist, and Professor Frimpong Boateng as a politician.
He praised the former health professional for his global reputation and role in establishing the National Cardiothoracic Centre, stressing that he had no standing to question him in that capacity.
However, he argued that as a politician, Professor Frimpong Boateng is open to public scrutiny like any other political actor.
Dr Zaato questioned whether the NPP was fake in 2016 and 2017 when Professor Frimpong Boateng served as a cabinet minister and benefited from being in government.
He also asked whether the party became fake after the 2020 elections when Professor Frimpong Boateng left government, and why he remained in the party from 2020 to 2024 if he believed it had lost its authenticity.
According to Dr Zaato, staying in a party one describes as fake raises concerns about principle and consistency.
He further challenged Professor Frimpong Boateng to clearly define what he meant by describing the party as fake or different, arguing that such words are loaded and require explanation.
Dr Zaato noted that political parties naturally evolve over time, adding that the NPP of 1992 is not the same as the NPP of 2025.
He traced the leadership of the party from Professor Albert Adu Boahen, through former President J A Kufuor, to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, pointing out that changes in leadership do not automatically make a party fake.
He argued that the current difference in the party is linked to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s leadership, noting that he is a Northerner, a Muslim, and not a traditional founding member of the party.
Dr Zaato questioned whether the party only became fake now that a different kind of leader is emerging, and challenged Professor Frimpong Boateng to state this clearly if that was his position.
He stressed that the NPP still exists as an organisation, with its constitution, offices, and symbol intact, and therefore asked what exactly Professor Frimpong Boateng considered not real.
Dr Zaato underscored that without clear definitions, claims that the party is fake remain unclear and open to interpretation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
