Former NPP Chairman Freddie Blay is calling on members of the New Patriotic Party to close ranks following the party's January 2026 presidential primary, warning that lingering bitterness among losing camps must not be allowed to fracture the party ahead of the 2028 general election.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Joy News' Gemma Appiah, Blay acknowledged that the primary season had been bruising for some time, but insisted that the real battle lies outside the party with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

"All our arsenal should be targeted at them and not at ourselves," Blay said pointedly, referring to the NDC.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia won the party's 2026 presidential primary on 31st January with 56.48 per cent of votes, defeating four other candidates, including Kennedy Agyapong and Dr Bryan Acheampong, in a fiercely contested race.

The veteran politician, who has been a central figure in NPP politics for decades, pushed back against any suggestion that candidates who lose internal elections have grounds to disengage or destabilise the party.

He said every candidate who steps into a primary must be prepared to justify their candidacy and to absorb the rough and tumble that comes with competitive internal politics.

"A lot of people throw stones at you, throw mud at you," he said. "I was praying very hard that it should remain a friendly fight — what I normally refer to as friendly hostilities, because after all, we are in the same party."

Blay conceded that some contestants stepped out of line during the campaign, but urged the party to move past those moments now that the elections are over.

He expressed empathy for those who came up short, noting that losing is never easy and that bitterness can linger.

"It's not easy for you to lose an election. Some could be better. The bitterness could remain with them for a while," he said. "But at the end of the day, we talk to each other."

His comments come at a delicate moment for the NPP.