National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ntim, has emphasized the need for unity among party members following the presidential primaries scheduled for November 4, 2023.
He urged party faithful to come together and support the candidate who emerges as the winner in the internal polls.
Mr Ntim highlighted the importance of internal party cohesion and discipline as essential factors for the NPP to secure a third consecutive term in office in the December 2024 general elections.
He made these remarks during a joint press conference with the National Executive Committee and the Council of Elders at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on November 2.
“Saturday, November 4th, is crucial for the New Patriotic Party. By the close of the day on Saturday, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has admirably led our party for 16 successful years, will perform the first of two handovers: first to one of the four aspirants who emerged victorious to succeed him as the leader of the party and second, to that same leader and flagbearer of the NPP, to succeed him as the President of the Republic of Ghana on January 7, 2025.”
“This is the nature and consequence of the November 4th flagbearer election. We are determined to win a third term because the development of Ghana depends on an NPP victory in the 2024 general elections. That victory begins this Saturday, and every member of this party has something significant to do with it. It requires that we are disciplined as a party. Failure to be disciplined, ensure internal peace and cohesion, and be responsive to our mandate will gravely imperil our electoral prospects,” Mr. Stephen Ntim said.
Emphasizing the potential harm that disunity and internal divisions can inflict on the NPP’s chances in the December 2024 elections, Chairman Ntim recounted the 2008 general elections and the factors contributing to the NPP’s painful defeat after leading the first round of voting with “49.13 percent of the total valid votes cast.”
“The most painful part of that experience is that we lost the presidential election in the second round after we had increased our votes by 321,000, whereas all we needed to win in the first round was a little over 100,000 votes.
“In other words, we gifted the NDC the elections in 2008 because our people did not come out to vote in the first round. We are at the same point today, and some of the factors that led to us losing the election in 2008 are rearing their ugly heads,” Mr. Ntim candidly observed.
“One of the chief contributors to our defeat in the 2008 general elections is the lack of unity of purpose or internal cohesion. We cannot afford to be disunited even briefly after the results are declared on Saturday. We must guard against any conduct, actions, or inactions likely to take us on a path of apathy and disunity,” the NPP National Chairman further cautioned.
During his speech, Mr. Ntim acknowledged the intense competition in the 2023 flagbearer election and recognized that a significant amount of debate and competition has transpired.
To that end, he called on the entire NPP fraternity “to wipe the slate clean and approach the Saturday, November 4 presidential primaries with a commitment to work together and support whoever emerges as the party’s leader and flagbearer.”
“There can only be one flagbearer at a time. I fondly recall the enthusiasm and unity that characterized our approach to the 1996 and 2000 elections. It was apparent we wanted to win as a party. But the height of enthusiasm and conviction with which we canvassed for victory in the 2000 general elections has waned considerably, and we must reignite it now,” Mr. Ntim said.
“The alternative to an NPP government is scary, and the alternative to us is empty. These statements are valid because the NDC has not put forth any policy ideas to address the youth unemployment challenge, which is the preoccupation of governments worldwide,” he added.
On Saturday, November 4, 2023, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is set to select its flagbearer for the upcoming December 2024 general elections. This marks a significant transition as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has led the party for the past 16 years, prepares to pass the leadership baton. The NPP’s choice for the 2024 presidential race will also determine its new leader.
Four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring: Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Food and Agriculture; Kennedy Agyapong, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region; and Francis Addai Nimoh, the former Member of Parliament for Mampong Constituency in the Ashanti Region.