Alexander Afenyo-Markin
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirants to campaign with discipline, civility, and respect for the party’s rules as the January 31, 2026, primary approaches.
Speaking at the signing of a peace pact aimed at ensuring unity, fair competition, and support for the eventual winner, Mr. Afenyo-Markin stressed that internal cohesion is not only critical for the primaries but also for the party’s effectiveness in Parliament and its broader role in national governance.
“Opposition is painful and lonely. We know this. Good friends don’t pick up calls, they ignore us and find new friends,” he said, reflecting on the challenges the party faces as a minority in Parliament.
“We are living it. We feel it every day, and surely none of us wants to remain there. We want power to serve, to transform lives, and to move Ghana forward. But power does not come through division. Power comes through discipline. Power comes through unity. Power comes through sacrifice,” he stated.
The aspirants who signed the agreement include Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, former Member of Parliament for Assin Central; Dr. Bryan Acheampong, MP for Abetifi and former Minister for Agriculture; Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President; Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Minister of Education; and Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, former NPP General Secretary.
The Minority Leader urged the aspirants to rise above anger, insults, and short-term emotions for the sake of long-term victory.
“Let us protect the party that has given us voice, purpose, and hope. And when the contest is over, let us close ranks, lock arms, and march forward together, stronger, wiser, and united towards victory in 2028. Our future depends on it. Our party depends on it. And Ghana is counting on us,” he said.
Mr. Osahen Afenyo-Markin underscored the importance of internal party elections in strengthening the NPP’s institutions.
“Internal contests are not merely about individuals. They are tests of our discipline, commitment, and the shared values that bind this party. The choice to focus on peace at this stage is both timely and commendable. Peace does not happen by accident. It is the product of deliberate leadership, clear rules, mutual respect, and a collective decision to place the long-term interests of the party and the country above short-term personal gain,” he noted.
He also reminded the aspirants that the nation’s democracy has been sustained through restraint, even in moments that could easily have descended into conflict.
“This reputation has not come cheaply. It must not be taken for granted. Distinguished aspirants, your supporters look to you not only for vision and policy ideas but for cues on conduct. The tone you set will be a tone that filters down to the grassroots. When leaders speak with restraint, supporters listen with restraint,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin warned that failure to maintain unity could weaken the minority’s role in Parliament, intimating, “Every time party actors choose internal sabotage over solidarity, they blunt the sharp edge of the minority’s oversight.”
“When committees need unified backing to investigate corruption, when critical votes demand tight coordination, and when national crises call for clear, united voice, internal fractures translate into parliamentary weakness. The divisions surrounding this primary are not confined within party offices. They risk crippling the mighty minority’s collective and effective ability to hold the government accountable,” he said.
He outlined the commitments of the peace pact, urging aspirants and their teams to refrain from personal attacks, intimidation, or ethnic and regional incitement.
Disputes must be resolved through party mechanisms rather than public confrontation, and talent from all camps should be integrated into a unified campaign.
“Let this peace pact be more than ink and handshakes. Let it be a covenant with delegates, with this tradition, and with the people of Ghana,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin reminded the aspirants that their legacy will be measured not only by the outcome of the primary but by their conduct in preserving party unity and strengthening the minority’s capacity to hold the government accountable.
“Ghana needs this party back not as a wounded, quarrelling organisation, but as a renewed, united, serious alternative. Every aspirant has a responsibility to campaign on ideas, record, and vision, and to submit to the party’s processes with dignity. This is how the NPP will remain credible, formidable, and ready to serve the nation,” he said.
By Ernest Kofi Adu