Naysayers predicted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) just-concluded primary was going to be fraught with bloodshed, but the process has come and gone devoid of incidents even as a flagbearer is elected by the delegates.
The sparing of the process of broken bones and tables has added a feather to the cap of the party for which both the leadership and membership should be proud of themselves.
The scary predictions by naysayers were occasioned by the fire spitting rhetoric from some contenders, thankfully all turned out to be hot air.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was the choice of the delegates, the process of his choice putting paid to what passed as the most cacophonous primary in the history of the party.
Today, the process of mending fences has started as the olive branch presented by the newly-elected flagbearer to his colleague contenders during his post victory speech last Saturday signified.
We urge all to, in the spirit of unity which the party needs at this time to move forward, close their ranks and shut down the camps.
The NPP can only serve the interest of Ghana only when it puts behind it the disunity which threatened its survival in the past few years and forge ahead in unity and strength.
The party has come out of the contest unbroken, and, as Dr. Bawumia said, the win is for all members of the party.
We wish to add that the win is for the country, because when peace reigns in a grouping such as the NPP, it shows that we are doing well in our practice of democracy.
Now that the contest is over, the contenders who were not chosen are being tested in their loyalty for the party they claimed to love in their engagement with the delegates when they crisscrossed the country.
Some persons in previous electoral processes such as the one just concluded parked their baggage and left because they did not win. Such persons failed the loyalty test.
It is our hope that the contenders in the just- concluded contest would not do same but rather gird their loins and join the new flagbearer for the bigger duel ahead of 2028.
Former President Akufo-Addo could not have put it better when he said in his speech during the declaration of the results at the party headquarters that those who did not prevail should stand tall in loyalty.
The manner in which the defeated respond to their fate determines their maturity and progress in future. We have no doubt in our minds that the words of the former President will resonate in the minds of the contenders as they reflect on how it all went, from the onset of the campaign to the declaration of the results. After all, only one person will be elected to bear the flag of the party.
It is all about serving a political party so we can do same for the country. When we are found wanting in this regard, we do not have business seeking to lead.
Congratulations NPP for coming up tops in the conduct of the polls and the eventual election of a flagbearer.
