Newly elected Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, has visited his contender, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, in a move aimed at promoting unity within the party following Saturday’s regional elections.

The visit to Dr Kokofu’s residence in Kumasi is seen as an early step towards reconciliation after Mr Appiah secured a decisive victory, polling 663 votes against Dr Kokofu’s 269.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Appiah, popularly known as COKA, said unity would be central to his administration and essential to the NPP’s efforts to regain power in the 2028 general elections.

“If we 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.

Mr Appiah said his first priority after the election was to begin the process of reconciliation by reaching out to his former contender.

“In seeking unity, I had to start from here, so I will plead that we all forgive each other for all wrongdoings and work together to bring the party to power,” he added.

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He said his administration would promote collective leadership and reconciliation across all levels of the party, from the polling station to the regional office.

Dr Kokofu, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), welcomed the gesture and pledged his support for the new regional leadership.

He said the responsibility of rebuilding the party rested on all members, while acknowledging Mr Appiah’s initiative to extend an invitation to his former rival.

“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,” Dr Kokofu said.

He explained that he had attempted to call Mr Appiah to congratulate him after the election but was unable to reach him, prompting him to send a text message instead.

“You are welcome to the seat. It is not an easy task, but with all of us around, we have to succeed,” he added.

The meeting was attended by some regional executives and other party members.

The unity drive comes at a critical time for the NPP in the Ashanti Region, traditionally the party’s strongest electoral base.

In the 2024 general elections, the NPP’s presidential vote in the region fell to about 1.37 million, representing roughly 65 per cent, from approximately 1.79 million votes in 2020.

The party also lost 10 of the region’s 47 parliamentary seats to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Appiah has since urged party members to put the internal contest behind them and focus on rebuilding the party and reclaiming lost parliamentary seats ahead of the 2028 elections.

The meeting between the two contenders is expected to set the tone for efforts to unite the Ashanti NPP and strengthen the party’s electoral fortunes ahead of the next general election.