A Former National Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Afoko, has appealed to the rank and file of the party to put aside their differences, unite, and rebuild the party to enable it to reclaim power in the 2028 general election.

He said the party could only regain the confidence of Ghanaians if members put aside their differences and worked collectively towards a common goal.

"If we don't unite, there's no power. Power wants unity. Power doesn't like division," he stressed.

He indicated that he had personally chosen to move beyond the circumstances surrounding his removal from office in 2015, stating, “In the name of God, everything that has happened to me, forget it. We must unite."

Mr Afoko, who is seeking a fresh mandate as National Chairman of the NPP, made the call during a meeting with constituency executives and party delegates in Tamale last Saturday as part of his campaign tour of the Northern Region.

He also interacted with key stakeholders, including traditional leaders and party stalwarts, to seek their blessings and support ahead of the party's national executive elections.

Building Consensus

In his remarks, Mr Afoko indicated that he had held consultations with the party's flag bearer for 2028,  Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former Presidents Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and John Agyekum Kufuor; Kennedy Agyapong; Bryan Acheampong; members of the National Executive Committee; the Council of Elders; and regional executives as part of efforts to foster reconciliation within the party.

He said his campaign was focused on bringing all factions together to rebuild confidence and prepare the party for the 2028 general election.

He attributed the party's abysmal performance in the 2024 general election to internal disunity and the disqualification of some parliamentary aspirants during previous internal elections.

He said those decisions forced some aggrieved aspirants to contest as either independent candidates or refuse to give their best, resulting in the loss of many parliamentary seats.

He stated that "the people are the source of political power. They decide who should represent them, so you cannot impose a candidate on them."

Three-Point Strategy

To reposition the party, the former National Chairman unveiled what he described as the "Three Rs" agenda, which implies Reunite, Rebuild, and Recapture.

He explained that the strategy seeks to reunite the party, rebuild and strengthen its grassroots structures, and ultimately recapture political power in 2028.

Mr Afoko said the NPP currently enjoys a strategic advantage because it already has an established presidential candidate, unlike the governing National Democratic Congress, which has yet to select its candidate.

Northern sector performance

Mr Afoko expressed concern over the party's declining electoral performance in the five regions of the north, describing it as evidence of the need for urgent reforms.

He said the NPP had lost all its parliamentary seats in the Upper East and Upper West regions, while representation in the Savannah Region had dropped to one seat.

He added that the party's seats in the North East Region had reduced from four to three, while parliamentary representation in the Northern Region had fallen from nine seats to six.

Mr Afoko singled out the loss of the Yendi parliamentary seat, once regarded as one of the NPP's strongest constituencies in the Northern Region, as a consequence of internal disunity.