Ahead of the party’s flagbearer campaign, former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged moderation and togetherness inside the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as internal rivalries intensify.
Speaking on Friday, September 19, at the opening of a new NPP constituency office in Bantama, Kufuor advised party members running for leadership roles to be cautious in their campaigns and refrain from using divisive language that could split the party.
“Siblings fight for power. So when you are in a party such as ours and claim to be a democrat, you will naturally fight for power. But it is an abomination for one to take power and completely push the other aside. When that happens, you won’t get the numbers,” he cautioned.
The former president’s comments coincide with mounting worries about the widening gaps and personal assaults between candidates and their backers.
He issued a warning that such conduct jeopardizes the party’s electoral power and cohesiveness.
“So let us not insult or disparage one another. Those contesting the flagbearership have been heard saying some of the most painful and hurtful things. It could be that the candidates themselves, or those supporting them, are encouraging people around them to speak in such ways on their behalf,” Kufuor said.
“Sometimes, too, the candidates may have no idea, it may simply be people around them picking on the other candidate,” he continued.
Kufuor emphasized that while internal rivalry is beneficial to democracy, it must be tempered by respect for one another and a dedication to the party’s mission.
Source: newsthemegh.com