Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey writes:

“A party that fails to listen to its grassroots today risks campaigning alone tomorrow”.

The low level of publicity surrounding the ongoing party registration exercise raises serious questions. The prevailing perception among many grassroots members is that the delegates’ album will eventually be compiled from the current list. If that perception is correct, it may explain why certain interests appear reluctant to allow widespread publicity. I saw “The Snake and the Monkey Shadow” situation.

Otherwise, one must ask: why are constituency executives and incumbent Members of Parliament not coordinating robust local publicity to encourage massive registration and revitalize the party base ahead of 2028?

In a country where information flows easily through community structures, mobilization should not be difficult. Regular announcements could be made through Community Information Centres. Churches, mosques, and markets could all serve as effective channels for informing party members about registration opportunities.

Yet in some areas, reports indicate that coordinators appear briefly and then continue the registration exercise privately at unknown locations. Such practices only deepen suspicion and erode confidence among the rank and file.

If the goal is truly to strengthen the party, then transparency must be the guiding principle.

One option worth serious consideration is the temporary suspension of the current exercise until all internal elections are concluded. Thereafter, a systematic and verifiable registration system should be implemented.

For example, a structured framework could allow a three-month registration window each year, combining both manual and online registration. Such a predictable system would allow all party members a fair opportunity to enroll while ensuring the integrity of the process.

Disturbingly, there are also claims circulating within the political space that “mouth-watering” incentives have allegedly been promised to selected bloggers, TikTok influencers, and media personalities to vigorously promote a “maintain agenda.” It is even alleged that party pickup vehicles have been allocated to certain coordinators associated with this effort.

Whether these claims are true or not, their mere existence raises uncomfortable questions.

What exactly is at stake here?

Is the party preparing itself seriously for the 2028 general election, or is the focus simply on maintaining a weak, inefficient, and indecisive party machinery?

If some apex decision-makers are indeed willing to gamble on what appears to be a “maintain lottery,” then whoever emerges as flag bearer may ultimately find himself riding into the 2028 election on a very weak horse.

Fairness, transparency, and credibility must therefore guide the process.

Any perception of underhand dealings, manipulation, or internal scheming risks producing something far more dangerous than internal disagreement, unprecedented apathy among the party’s own supporters.

In that spirit, several legitimate questions deserve clear answers:

(1). When and where were these directives formulated?
(2). Was an expert committee established to design the registration framework?
(3). Did the approving authority conduct a thorough review of the proposed system?
(4). Were the regional and constituency party structures consulted?
(5). What funding arrangements support the exercise, and how are those resources being managed?

These questions are not acts of rebellion; they are acts of responsibility. A political party that seeks national leadership must first demonstrate internal credibility.

The road to 2028 will not be won through secrecy or selective mobilization. It will be won through trust, participation, and a genuinely revitalized grassroots base.

That’s not all, also with 2028 at Stake: Silent Registration, Loud Suspicions. The questions surrounding the ongoing party registration exercise cannot simply be ignored. Is the objective to build a strong grassroots base for victory in 2028, or to quietly protect the status quo through selective processes?

The strength of a political party is never measured by secrecy at the top but by the trust it commands at the grassroots. When fairness disappears from internal processes, loyalty soon disappears as well. If the base loses confidence in the system, no flag bearer, no matter how strong, can carry the party to victory. The road to 2028 will not be paved by silence or shadows, but by transparency, fairness, and genuine participation. If transparency is sacrificed today, the price will be paid at the ballot box in 2028.

“A party that hides its internal processes today may find tomorrow that the grassroots have quietly walked away”.