The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has appealed to New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopefuls to remain united and rally behind whoever emerges victorious in the party’s January 31 primaries, warning that internal division could be costly.

Speaking at the signing of a Peace Pact by five NPP presidential aspirants in Accra on Thursday, the Effutu MP described life in opposition as “painful and lonely” and cautioned that a fragmented party risks not only losing the 2028 general elections but also weakening its influence in Parliament.

Mr Afenyo-Markin urged the aspirants to pursue issue-based and respectful campaigns, stressing that unity must be consciously built.

“Peace does not happen by accident. It is the product of deliberate effort,” he said, adding that a divided party at both the grassroots and leadership levels cannot function as an effective opposition.

He noted that the true legacy of the primaries should go beyond personal victory, emphasising that strengthening the party and empowering the Minority Caucus in Parliament ought to be the ultimate objective.

“A house divided in the grassroots and in the ranks of leadership cannot be a formidable opposition,” he reiterated.

The Peace Pact, formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, is expected to reassure party members, delegates and the general public of the NPP’s commitment to internal democracy, unity and orderly competition. It signals the aspirants’ collective resolve to place party cohesion above individual ambition.

The five aspirants who endorsed the pact were former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former Assin Central MP and businessman Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; former Food and Agriculture Minister Dr Bryan Acheampong; former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.

Each aspirant received a signed copy of the MoU, symbolising their pledge to uphold peace before, during and after the contest.

The ceremony was organised by the party’s Presidential Elections Committee, chaired by Joseph Osei Owusu, former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and ex-MP for Bekwai, marking a key step towards ensuring a peaceful and credible primary as the NPP positions itself for the 2028 elections.