Former National Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Afoko, has urged members of the party to put aside their differences, unite, and work towards rebuilding the party ahead of the 2028 general election.
He said the NPP can only regain the confidence of Ghanaians if members overcome internal divisions and work together towards a common goal.
“If we don’t unite, there’s no power. Power wants unity. Power doesn’t like division,” he stressed.
Mr Afoko, who is seeking a comeback as National Chairman of the NPP, said he had personally chosen to move beyond the circumstances surrounding his removal from office in 2015.
“In the name of God, everything that has happened to me, forget it. We must unite,” he said.
He made the call during a meeting with constituency executives and party delegates in Tamale last Saturday as part of his campaign tour of the Northern Region. He also engaged traditional leaders and party stakeholders to seek their support ahead of the party’s national executive elections.
Building consensus
Mr Afoko said he had consulted the party’s 2028 flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Presidents Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and John Agyekum Kufuor, Kennedy Agyapong, Bryan Acheampong, members of the National Executive Committee, the Council of Elders, and regional executives as part of efforts to promote reconciliation within the party.
He said his campaign is focused on uniting the various factions, rebuilding confidence, and positioning the NPP for victory in 2028.
Mr Afoko attributed the party’s poor performance in the 2024 general election partly to internal divisions and the disqualification of some parliamentary aspirants during previous internal contests.
According to him, some aggrieved aspirants either contested as independent candidates or failed to fully support the party, contributing to the loss of several parliamentary seats.
“The people are the source of political power. They decide who should represent them, so you cannot impose a candidate on them,” he stated.
Three-point strategy
To reposition the party, Mr Afoko outlined his “Three Rs” agenda — Reunite, Rebuild, and Recapture.
He explained that the strategy seeks to unite party members, strengthen grassroots structures, and ultimately help the NPP regain power in 2028.
Mr Afoko added that the party currently has a strategic advantage because it already has a presidential candidate, unlike the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), which is yet to select its candidate.
Northern performance
Mr Afoko expressed concern about the NPP’s declining electoral fortunes in the five regions of northern Ghana, describing it as a sign that urgent reforms are needed.
He noted that the party has lost all its parliamentary seats in the Upper East and Upper West regions, while its representation in the Savannah Region has reduced to one seat.
He added that the NPP’s seats in the North East Region have dropped from four to three, while its parliamentary representation in the Northern Region has fallen from nine seats to six.
Mr Afoko also cited the loss of the Yendi parliamentary seat, previously considered one of the party’s strongholds in the Northern Region, as a consequence of internal divisions.
