Newly elected Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, has visited his contender, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, in a bid to foster unity within the party following his decisive victory in the regional elections.
The visit, described by party members as a significant first step towards reconciliation, comes after Odeneho Kwaku Appiah secured 663 votes to beat Dr Kokofu, who polled 269 votes in Saturday’s election.
Speaking at the meeting, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah said creating a united front was central to his campaign and crucial if the NPP is to return to power in 2028.
“If we will need power, there must be unity. Creating a united party was part of my campaign because without unity, we can’t win power,” he said.
The newly elected Chairman added: “In seeking unity, I had to start from here, so I will plead that we all forgive each other of all wrongdoings and work to bring the party to power.”
Mr Appiah said his administration would prioritise reconciliation and collective leadership from the polling station to the regional office.
Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), welcomed the gesture and pledged his support for the new leadership.
“For us now, the vehicle is unity. He, as the winner and victor, has a huge responsibility to extend the hands of invitation. He has just done that, perfect. I had the responsibility to call him and congratulate him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reach him, so I sent him a text message. You are welcome to the seat. It is not an easy task, but with all of us around, we have to succeed,” Dr Kokofu said.
The meeting took place at Dr Kokofu’s residence in Kumasi and was attended by some regional executives and party members.
The unity call comes at a critical time for the NPP in its stronghold. In the 2024 General Elections, the party’s presidential vote in Ashanti dropped to approximately 1,366,800 votes, representing 65 per cent, from 1.79 million in 2020.
The NPP also lost 10 of the 47 parliamentary seats in the region to the NDC.
Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, has since charged members to put the internal contest behind them and begin work immediately to reclaim lost seats ahead of the 2028 elections.
The visit signals a new chapter for the Ashanti NPP as the party seeks to reorganise and strengthen its structures ahead of the next general election.
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