Leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ken Ohene Agyapong, has called on the party’s leadership to grant a general amnesty to all dismissed or estranged members as part of efforts to rebuild after its 2024 election defeat.
Addressing a packed auditorium in Takoradi during the NPP’s “Thank You” tour of the Western Region, Mr. Agyapong pleaded for forgiveness and reconciliation, specifically mentioning suspended former National Chairman Paul Afoko, former presidential aspirant Alan Kyerematen, and former National Women’s Organiser Otiko Afisa Djaba.
Mr. Agyapong, who contested the 2024 NPP flagbearership, said the party’s path to victory in 2028 must begin by healing old wounds at all levels from grassroots members to top leadership.
“It is time to let go of past grudges and focus on what truly matters: the success of the party and the future of our country,” he said,
invoking biblical wisdom that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
He urged the leadership to also reintegrate polling station executives, constituency officers, and other grassroots members who had been expelled or marginalized over the years, stressing their importance in rebuilding the party’s electoral base.
The event, which drew supporters from across the Western Region, also featured the NPP’s 2024 flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who gave a candid assessment of the party’s election loss.
Dr. Bawumia cited several factors behind the NPP’s defeat, including:
The government’s failure to reshuffle ministers for eight years, the controversial passage of the E-Levy, economic hardship and high cost of living, unpaid allowances under NABCO, Youth in Afforestation, and school feeding programs, and what he termed the “arrogance of power” among government appointees.
He revealed that voter apathy played a major role, with over 169,000 supporters in the Western Region alone refusing to vote, alongside 234,000 in Central Region and 100,000 in Bono Region.
While Dr. Bawumia dismissed claims that tribalism or religion hurt his candidacy, he acknowledged the party’s loss of support across traditional strongholds such as Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern regions.
Nevertheless, he urged members to remain united and optimistic, expressing confidence that the NPP could bounce back stronger in 2028.
Credit: Graphiconline.com
