Former Member of Parliament for Effia and New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Joseph Cudjoe, has cautioned that indiscipline within political parties poses a serious threat to their survival, credibility and electoral fortunes, urging party leaders to enforce internal rules fairly and consistently if they hope to remain competitive.
In a strongly argued statement titled “Effect of Indiscipline Within Political Parties,” Mr Cudjoe said political parties thrive on shared values, established procedures and collective decision making. He warned that any organisation that allows members to repeatedly disregard its rules without facing consequences risks weakening itself from within.
According to him, political parties are made up of people from diverse backgrounds, including professionals, religious groups, educators and traditional leaders, many of whom value discipline and accountability. While membership remains voluntary, he stressed that sustaining unity requires every member to respect the rules governing the organisation.
Mr Cudjoe argued that the failure to address indiscipline creates a chain of problems capable of undermining even the strongest political parties. He explained that when disciplinary measures are applied selectively or ignored altogether, party leaders gradually lose both their authority and credibility in the eyes of members.
He noted that inconsistent enforcement of party rules often breeds internal divisions, with members breaking into competing camps instead of working towards a common objective. Such factionalism, he said, makes it increasingly difficult for a political party to project a united front to the electorate.
The former lawmaker also expressed concern about the effect of indiscipline on loyal party members who continue to abide by established rules. According to him, disciplined members become discouraged when they watch others damage the party’s image without being held accountable for their actions.
“Members who follow the rules and behave well in the party to give it a good name may feel demoralised if others break the party’s rules without suffering any consequences,” he argued.
Beyond the internal consequences, Mr Cudjoe believes the public also closely observes how political parties manage their affairs. He warned that voters could lose confidence in any political organisation perceived to be unable to enforce discipline among its own members.
In his view, citizens may question whether a party that struggles to maintain order within its own ranks can effectively govern a nation or build a disciplined and corruption resistant society.
He further argued that unresolved internal conflicts consume valuable time and energy that should otherwise be devoted to policy development, campaigning and voter engagement. According to him, a party distracted by constant disputes inevitably weakens its electoral effectiveness.
Drawing attention to the NPP’s current circumstances, Mr Cudjoe said the party has reached what he described as a defining moment. He suggested that the leadership faces a critical choice between making disciplined members feel valued while holding indisciplined members accountable, or allowing the opposite situation to prevail.
He also offered a broader reflection on the long term consequences of tolerating misconduct within political organisations.
“As a game of numbers, indisciplined members attract more indisciplined people and make a party less attractive to disciplined people in society,” he stated.
Conversely, he argued that political parties that consistently uphold discipline naturally attract individuals who respect rules and institutions. Such organisations, he added, are better positioned to promote discipline within the wider society through their own example.
Mr Cudjoe also issued a warning about what he described as a strategic risk facing political parties that fail to protect their internal standards. He suggested that organisations which tolerate persistent indiscipline leave themselves vulnerable to infiltration by individuals whose actions could deliberately damage the party’s reputation and public image.
For that reason, he defended the existence of disciplinary committees within political parties, saying virtually every successful political organisation around the world maintains structures responsible for enforcing standards of conduct at all levels.
Although his statement focused on broader principles of party organisation, his comments are likely to fuel ongoing discussions within the NPP over party discipline as the opposition continues preparations towards the 2028 general elections.
His intervention also comes at a time when many political observers have argued that internal cohesion, discipline and effective conflict management will be critical factors for political parties seeking to build public confidence ahead of the next electoral cycle.
For Mr Cudjoe, the message is straightforward. A political party’s greatest strength lies not only in the size of its membership, but also in its willingness to uphold the rules that bind its members together. Without that foundation, he suggests, even the most popular political organisation risks losing the unity and public confidence needed to succeed at the polls.
