Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has turned into an autocratic party, in the hands of some members who are only using the party for their private gains.

He said the NPP he knew some years ago, which was founded on the principles of Danquah/Bussia, seems to have abandoned its tenets and trying to repress him. According to him, the NPP has doled out some money to serial callers to vilify him because they cannot tolerate his outspoken character.

Dr. Wereko-Brobbey has since the filing of the election petition case by the NPP under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, come hard on the party, rubbishing the move by the leaders to go to the Supreme Court.

He has dissented to some positions and decisions taken by the party.

His recent comments ignited passions within the party with the General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, doubting his true membership with the party.

Over the weekend, there was reports that he had been suspended by the leadership, but speaking to Peace FM on Monday, he denied knowledge of any sanction by the party, saying that he cannot be gagged from sharing his views on the conduct of the party.

Defining the NPP as “party of Rule of law and the party of free expression”, he wondered why the members cannot stomach his comments and have sought to attack his personality.

“When you switch on the radio, you switch on television; everybody is expressing his mind. Why does it astonish people when Wereko-Brobbey alone speaks his mind? Every day, everybody is expressing himself or herself…Every day, NPP members are speaking their mind; NDC also speaking theirs. So, why can’t I also express myself?”

He, therefore, held strongly that he will continue to “speak his mind”, “if you think I have spoken my mind and you don’t agree with me, and want to send me somewhere, the law is there.”

To him, the party members are tickling themselves, and so quoted a biblical verse as a caution to his critics.

He admonished them to “cast ye first the log” from their eyes, “so you can see clearly. Then you can remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Though admitting the elections were rigged, he, however, was of the view that the NPP “did not watch the gate, and they came to steal them.”

“I believe that private interests are being put ahead of the collective interests of the NPP. I have a right to believe that. So, nobody can say they hold the body and the wisdom of the NPP…Democracy must be founded on vigorous debate.

“This is nonsense. This is not the Danquah/Busia party. This is not the party of intolerance. It is a disgrace for anybody to get into this…Our party has become an intolerant autocratic party that does not follow its own rules. That cannot be good for the NPP,” he concluded.