Internal Cracks Cost Us Elections: Frema Osei-Opare Warns NPP Ahead of 2026 Primaries

Former Chief of Staff Frema Osei-Opare has blamed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) poor showing in recent presidential and parliamentary elections on the party’s persistent failure to resolve internal disputes and reunite after internal contests.

She made the remarks on Thursday, January 22, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, during a ceremony where the party’s five presidential aspirants signed a peace pact ahead of the 2026 NPP presidential primaries.

Drawing from her decade-long experience as Chairperson of the NPP’s Conflict Resolution Committee (2010–2020), Madam Osei-Opare said unresolved tensions within the party have repeatedly undermined its electoral strength.

“Our losses, both parliamentary and presidential, can largely be traced to the many internal conflicts we experience and our inability to heal quickly after internal elections,” she said.

According to her, the party often struggles to forgive, reconcile, and move forward after competitive internal elections, a situation that weakens unity ahead of national polls.

She noted that the National Council of Patrons has consistently cautioned members against allowing internal elections to create permanent divisions, stressing that leadership positions within the party are elective and temporary.

Madam Osei-Opare emphasized that the peace pact should not be viewed as a symbolic gesture or one limited to aspirants alone.

“This peace pact is not only for aspirants and delegates. It is for all NPP members and sympathisers,” she stated.

She urged the aspirants to take responsibility for the actions of their supporters before, during, and after the primaries, describing internal elections as a long-standing democratic tradition of the party.

“We must see unity after the primaries as non-negotiable. We need all hands on deck if we are to win the 2028 elections,” she said.

She also appealed to the eventual winner of the primaries to demonstrate inclusiveness by integrating other aspirants and their supporters into the campaign structure at all levels.

Quoting Mother Teresa, she reminded party members of the value of unity: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Madam Osei-Opare called on the party to project unity from the national level down to polling stations, stressing that discipline and cohesion are critical for victory in 2028.

Earlier in her address, she commended the five aspirants for their extensive nationwide campaigns, acknowledging the energy, resources, and commitment invested in the process.

With less than ten days to the primaries, she urged party faithful to remain united regardless of the outcome.

The event was attended by top NPP figures, including former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, ahead of the formal signing of the peace pact by all five flagbearer aspirants.