Minority Leader Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin has warned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against internal division, stressing that returning to power requires discipline, unity, and sacrifice, not anger and infighting.

“Opposition is painful and lonely, but power does not come through anger or division. Power comes through discipline, unity, and sacrifice,” he said at the signing of a peace pact at the Asante Hall of the Alisa Hotel in Accra, ahead of the party’s January 31 presidential primary.

The peace pact brought together all five presidential aspirants: Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr Bryan Acheampong, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, who committed to conduct a transparent, peaceful contest, respect party rules, and support the eventual winner.

Afenyo-Markin described internal party elections as more than contests between individuals, saying they are tests of leadership maturity, discipline, and commitment to the party’s democratic values.

He warned that factionalism could weaken the NPP’s ability to function effectively as the Minority in Parliament, giving the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) room to operate unchecked.

“When party actors expend energy on internal conflict rather than national oversight, Parliament suffers and governance accountability is undermined,” he said.

He urged aspirants to campaign on ideas, track record, and vision, rather than insults, intimidation, or rhetoric that divides, and called on all contestants to accept the primary outcome and publicly rally behind the chosen flagbearer.

Afenyo-Markin stressed that the peace pact must go beyond signatures, translating into real commitment, discipline, and unity, warning that failure to do so would betray the party’s democratic tradition and the trust of Ghanaians.

The signing of the peace pact marks a critical step in ensuring a transparent, credible, and peaceful presidential primary, positioning the NPP for unity ahead of the 2028 general elections.