–BY Daniel Bampoe
Amidst escalating tensions within the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), former Attorney-General and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey, has issued a passionate appeal for unity and reconciliation.
Speaking in the aftermath of the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections, Ghartey called on all factions within the NPP to halt the growing public feuds and focus instead on introspection and rebuilding.
Ghartey’s intervention comes as verbal clashes between leading party figures—most notably between firebrand politician Kennedy Agyapong and Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye—have intensified, threatening to deepen divisions at a time when the party is calling for unity its electoral loss.
Joe Ghartey stressed that no individual in the party possessed the capacity to singlehandedly lead it to victory in future elections.
He urged for “cool heads, sober reflection and strategic thinking,” emphasizing that unity and collective responsibility were essential to the NPP’s recovery.
Citing the popular Ghanaian proverb, “when you point a finger at one person, the other four point at you,” he cautioned against the culture of blame that has taken root since the party’s loss.
Drawing from his own experience as a Cabinet Minister, Joe Ghartey recounted challenges he faced working with certain public officials, including the difficulty in accessing some Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).
While refusing to name individuals, he highlighted these issues as symptoms of systemic disconnection and lack of coordination within party structures during their time in government.
He acknowledged that blame was being directed at the party’s top leadership, noting that as the saying goes, “a fish rots from the head.”
However, he maintained that the dysfunction extended across all levels of the party.
“Things fell apart at many levels,” he observed, suggesting that the cracks within the party were not new but had been allowed to fester.
Specifically addressing the ongoing feud between Kennedy Agyapong and Abronye, Ghartey called for an immediate ceasefire, urging their supporters to stand down and avoid further damaging the party’s image.
“The time when some of us kept quiet while the party was being torn apart by selfish interests is over,” he declared.
Despite the recent setbacks and deepening internal rifts, Ghartey expressed optimism about the future of the NPP.
