By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Jan. 22, GNA – Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has lamented that being in opposition is “painful and lonely” and urged New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirants to close ranks and unite behind the eventual winner of the January 31 primaries.
Speaking at the signing of a Peace Pact by five presidential aspirants of the Party in Accra on Thursday, Mr. Afenyo-Markin cautioned that a fractured NPP was not only risked losing the 2028 general elections but would also weaken its position in Parliament.
The Effutu legislator appealed to the aspirants to conduct their campaigns with civility, devoid of insults, stressing that “peace does not happen by accident. It is the result of deliberate efforts.”
He noted that the greatest legacy the aspirants could leave behind after the primaries was not merely winning the contest but empowering the Party and strengthening the Minority Caucus in Parliament.
“A house divided in the grassroots and in the ranks of the leadership cannot be a formidable opposition,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasised.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to reassure party members, delegates, and the wider public of the NPP’s commitment to unity and democratic principles.
It signals the aspirants’ willingness to place party cohesion above personal ambition as they prepare for the January 31 contest.
The peace pact marks a significant milestone in safeguarding the integrity of the primaries and ensuring that the NPP emerges stronger and united ahead of the 2028 elections.
The five aspirants who signed the pact were: Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President and economist credited with spearheading Ghana’s digitalisation agenda; Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former MP for Assin Central, businessman and media entrepreneur; and Dr. Bryan Acheampong, former Minister of Food and Agriculture with a PhD in Information Systems and a military background in the U.S. Air Force.
The rest were Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Minister of Education and advocate for STEM reforms; and Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former NPP General Secretary and long-serving party stalwart.
Each aspirant received a signed copy of the MoU, symbolically reinforcing their pledge to unity.
The ceremony was facilitated by the Party’s Presidential Elections Committee, chaired by Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu, former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and ex-MP for Bekwai.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
