NPP Minority Leader Warns Internal Divisions Could Undermine 2028 Election Chances

Minority Leader and Effutu Member of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to overcome internal divisions, describing disunity as a persistent “slow poison” that threatens the party’s electoral prospects.

Speaking at a convention of NPP stakeholders in the Effutu Constituency following the party’s flagbearer contest, Afenyo-Markin warned that history shows the party often suffers electoral defeat whenever internal cracks emerge, regardless of the strength of its policies or leadership.

He called on party members to rally behind former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, emphasizing the importance of a shared vision, consistent messaging, and a unified approach from the national level to grassroots structures.

“History teaches us the cost of fragmentation,” he said, recalling how divisions within the Danquah-Busia tradition in 1979 led to the formation of the UNC and PFP, paving the way for the PNP under Hilla Limann to assume power. Similar rifts, he added, contributed to the NPP’s losses in 1992, 1996, 2008, and 2012.

Afenyo-Markin contrasted these defeats with periods of unity, noting the party’s victories in 2000, 2004, 2016, and 2020, attributing success to discipline and cohesion. He cautioned against a repeat of the 2024 elections, where “skirt and blouse” voting weakened the party at the polls.

“We must not allow the 2024 result to repeat itself. If Dr Bawumia fails, it is we who have failed him. Let us not fail him. Let us work for him, work for the party, and work for our country,” he urged.

The Minority Leader’s remarks highlight the NPP’s ongoing challenge of maintaining unity as it prepares for the 2028 general elections.

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