Former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must urgently address how it selects its leaders, describing the process as a fundamental challenge confronting the party.

According to him, the leadership selection mechanism should be a top priority for the NPP’s newly constituted constitutional review committee as it considers reforms to reposition the party after its 2024 electoral defeat.

Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Thursday, April 17, Osei-Owusu emphasized the need for unity and consensus in shaping the party’s future.

“For me, the most critical thing now is that, in the end, we should have some consensus on the way forward. The critical issue if you ask me is our processes of selecting leaders,” he stressed.

He maintained that while the method of reaching a consensus might differ, what matters most is the party’s ability to rally around a shared outcome.

“It doesn’t matter how we get to that. Once we get to a consensus, we will use it to build our party and move forward with it,” Osei-Owusu added.

His comments come in the wake of the formation of a nine-member constitutional review committee by the NPP on Wednesday, April 16. The move follows recommendations by the Oquaye Committee, which presented a report analyzing the causes of the party’s loss in the 2024 general elections.

The constitutional review committee has been tasked with evaluating internal structures, including the leadership selection process, to improve the party’s chances in future elections and foster internal cohesion.