The National Delegates' Conference of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) held on Saturday, 12th April 2014, ended with 99% of the former executives being axed.

A new era was instituted in the NPP when Mr. Paul Afoko, Mr. Kwabena Adjei Agyepong, National Chairman and General Secretary respectively, and others were elected to lead the party for the next four years.

The only old executive who escaped the sharp edge of the machete was the National Women’s Organiser, Otiko Afisa Djaba.

Some political pundits are of the view that the new executives give Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo a high chance of winning the 2016 elections, if he is elected again as the flagbearer for the NPP. But Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports disagrees.

“The fact that you have new executives does not give you victory. It is not just a matter of electing new executives that gives one an advantage into an election,” said Joseph Yamin, who was contributing to a panel discussion on PeaceFM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show.

The Deputy Minister warned the NPP not to delude itself into thinking that 2016 will be a smooth ride to the presidency because of the election of these new executives.

“…if the NPP thinks we are intimidated by these new executives, then they have another thing coming. The NDC is not shaken... our target in the Ashanti region for 2016 is to get 35% presidential votes and 10 seats for MPs…all we need to do is to deliver on our promise,” he said.

He, however, believed that the newly-elected NPP National Executives will bring some form of decency into the country’s politics.

“We can get some decency in our politics, void of insults. At least we can all make meaningful debates,” he hoped.