Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has issued a passionate call for introspection within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), urging party faithful to reject tribal and religious divisions that threaten to undermine the party’s national appeal.
Speaking at the launch of the NPP’s ideological school, the Patriotic Institute, in Accra on Tuesday, the statesman warned that the creeping influence of bigotry, particularly tribalism and religious bias within the party could reinforce long-standing perceptions that the NPP is ethnically exclusive.
“We must remember, democracy does not recognise tribe, religion, or gender—it recognises the individual. One man, one vote,” President Kufuor declared, drawing applause from party members gathered at the event.
He stressed that the NPP, as a democratic institution, must prioritize competence and inclusivity over parochial loyalties in choosing its future leaders.
His comments come at a time when internal campaigns for the party’s 2028 flagbearer position are intensifying, with growing concerns that some factions are resorting to divisive rhetoric to gain advantage.
“Some of the things I hear from within our party only lend credence to the accusation that we are tribal,” he warned. “When such utterances come from our own mouths, we are only confirming what our opponents have accused us of for decades.”
Kufuor noted that such tendencies, if not checked, could undermine the party’s efforts to position itself as a broad-based, national political force.
“Let’s stop digging ourselves deeper into a rat hole,” he urged. “We must ask ourselves: can the person we present as leader solve the problems of the whole community, so that everyone benefits?”
“We are democratic and we uphold common humanity,” President Kufuor said of the values of the NPP, attracting wide applause from his fellow patriots present.
“Democracy doesn’t go in for tribe, religion and gender. It is the individual. One man one vote. And if we want power we want to present a person who will be convincing to the generality of the electorate.”
“Can this man we are presenting help solve problems for the community at large so the benefit spreads across the board for all.”
The former President urged members of the NPP to look at issues “this way if we tell the truth to ourselves.”
He expressed worry that such bigotry, being perpetuate by some members of the party, further casts doubt on the NPP as a national party.
President Kufuor called for an end to the unfortunate development to help the NPP “get out of the rat hole.”
The former President’s address was a clear call for the NPP to remain focused on its foundational democratic values—unity, equality, and meritocracy—rather than descending into factionalism driven by identity politics.
As the NPP navigates the road to its next leadership contest, Kufuor’s words serve as a timely reminder of the stakes involved, not just for the party, but for the democratic health of the nation.
