Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remain patient and maintain party unity as party conflicts ahead of the 2028 elections heat up.
Addressing the commissioning of a new constituency office in Bantama, Kumasi, on Friday, Mr Kufuor admitted that competition for leadership was natural in a democratic party but cautioned against inflammatory politics and divisive rhetoric.
Siblings struggle for dominance. But in a party like ours, if you drive people away completely, you won't have the numbers," he said to Daily Monitor. "Let us not insult one another or demean one another. Some of the most painful things being uttered in this flagbearer competition endanger our unity.".
The former president stated that candidates themselves are not always at fault for incendiary remarks, speculating that possibly their supporters were fueling the tension.
He urged candidates to tone down their campaigns and promote reconciliation.
Mr Kufuor also stressed that the real priorities were goodwill and service to the party and not physical structures. "The building is fine, but if the intentions behind are evil, then what is the point? Good governance is unity of purpose and sincerity of intent, not infrastructure," he further added.
The Bantama constituency office, sponsored by the constituency's Member of Parliament, Francis Asenso-Boakye, was dedicated to commission at a time when fears are rising about factionalism and personal slurs in the NPP.
Mr Kufuor also appealed for forgiveness, reconciliation, and shared commitment to the party's vision, warning that if there is no unity then the electoral fortunes of the NPP may be in jeopardy.