Former Chief of Staff, Frema Osei Opare, has attributed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) losses in both presidential and parliamentary elections to the party’s long-standing inability to resolve internal conflicts and reconcile after internal contests.
She made the remarks at the ceremony at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Thursday, January 22, marking the signing of a peace pact by five presidential aspirants of the NPP, ahead of the party’s 2026 presidential primaries.
Drawing on her experience as Chairperson of the party’s Conflict Resolution Committee between 2010 and 2020, Madam Osei Opare said internal disputes have consistently weakened the party’s electoral fortunes.
“In my work as the Chairperson of the party’s Conflict Resolution Committee from 2010 to 2020, it became clear that our electoral losses, both in parliamentary and presidential elections, can be largely linked to the many internal conflicts within the party and our inability to heal faster,” she said.
According to her, the party often struggles to move on after internal elections. “We are unable to forgive ourselves, reconcile, and move on after our internal elections,” she noted.
She said the National Council of Patrons has repeatedly cautioned party members against allowing internal contests to divide the party permanently.
“The National Council of Patrons admonishes that under no circumstance should the choice of the delegates in any of our internal elections degenerate into irreconcilable disagreement,” she said, adding that most leadership roles in the party are elective and temporary.
Madam Osei Opare said that the peace pact being signed should not be seen as symbolic or limited to aspirants alone.
“This peace pact that we are about to sign today is not only for aspirants and delegates, but also for all of us as NPP members and sympathisers,” she said.
She urged the aspirants to take responsibility for the conduct of their supporters before, during and after the primaries.
“There is a need for all aspirants to educate and encourage their supporters to see this important election as a time-tested tradition of our party,” she said, adding that unity after the primaries is crucial to the party’s future.
“We are all required to come together to prosecute the 2028 election. We need all hands on deck to win 2028,” she added.
Madam Osei Opare also appealed to the eventual winner of the primaries to show inclusiveness. “I urge whoever emerges victorious to embrace all other contestants and their supporters in a meaningful way by making them an integral part of the campaign at all levels,” she said.
Quoting Mother Teresa, she reminded party members of the importance of unity. “As the famous Mother Teresa said, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other,” she noted.
She called on the party to demonstrate unity at every level of its organisation. “Let the country, the region, the constituency and the polling station feel that we, the great elephant party, are indeed united, focused and disciplined for victory in 2028,” she said.
Earlier in her address, Madam Osei Opare commended the five aspirants for their efforts over the past months, noting the demands of campaigning across the country.
“In the past few months, all five of you have been trekking and crisscrossing the nooks and crannies of our country, canvassing for votes and energising the base of our party,” she said.
She acknowledged “the difficulties involved, the energy required and the resources committed” to the process.
With less than ten days to the 2026 NPP presidential primaries, she urged party members to remain united regardless of the outcome.
“Now, in less than 10 days, the highly anticipated 2026 NPP presidential primaries will take place across the country, and we all have a duty to remain united afterwards,” she said.
Big wigs of the New Patriotic Party, including former President Nana Aufo-Addo have arrived at the Alisa Hotel in Accra ahead of the signing of a peace pact by all five aspirants in the party’s flagbearership race.
