Ambassador Edward Boateng, former envoy to China, has urged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to measure their words and remain decorous ahead of the party’s January 31 presidential primary.

The NPP has scheduled its presidential primary for January 31, 2026, to enable delegates to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general election.

Delegates of the party will choose among former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Member of Parliament Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former NPP General Secretary Mr Kwabena Agyapong, former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and former MP Dr Bryan Acheampong.

A statement signed by Ambassador Boateng, who is also aspiring for the National Chairman position of the NPP called for calm conduct and renewed purpose as the party approaches the polls.

“Let ambition be guided by maturity. Let victory, when it comes, be worn with humility. Let disappointment, if it comes, be carried with dignity,” the statement said.

It is advised that as January 31 draws nearer, wisdom should guide speech, discipline should guide actions, and unity should guide hearts for the sake of the party and its 2028 electoral task.

The statement urged party members to reflect not only on ambition and competition but also on conduct, language, and responsibility as the internal democratic process reaches its climax.

It acknowledged the passion and conviction driving the contest and congratulated all presidential aspirants for their commitment to serving the party and the nation.

However, it cautioned that restraint must now take precedence over rhetoric, warning that hurtful language could leave lasting damage that reconciliation efforts might not fully heal.

The statement stressed that political competition must not descend into personal attacks, noting that careless accusations and reckless insinuations could weaken party unity.

It reminded supporters that they were often perceived as extensions of the candidates they supported and that inflammatory language from surrogates could be as damaging as that from aspirants.

Discipline, it said, was not weakness but leadership, stressing that the real contest lay in the 2028 general election, not the January 31 primary.

The statement concluded that the NPP’s success in 2028 depended on unity, focus, and credibility, warning that internal divisions and unresolved grievances would only benefit political opponents.