Veteran New Patriotic Party (NPP) figure and former Attorney-General Joe Ghartey is calling for an end to internal conflicts and public confrontations within the party.
As the NPP faces renewed pressure to regroup after its 2024 electoral defeat, Ghartey is urging party faithful to adopt a more strategic and reflective posture.
In a recent interview, Ghartey appealed to all factions to turn away from infighting and focus on what lies ahead. “What the NPP needs now is cool heads, sober reflection and strategic thinking,” he emphasized, warning that continued finger-pointing would only worsen the party’s divisions. “There is no point in pointing fingers at each other,” he said, adding with a Ghanaian proverb: “When you point a finger at one person, the other four point at you.”
Acknowledging widespread criticism of the party’s leadership, Ghartey accepted that some blame may rightly be directed at the top. However, he was quick to highlight that the challenges facing the NPP run deep. “A fish rots from the head, they say, so it’s not surprising a lot of the blame is going to the top. But at all levels, things fell apart,” he noted.
Drawing from his experience in government, Ghartey recalled moments when, as a Cabinet Minister, even he encountered bureaucratic hurdles. “There were times I couldn’t reach some CEOs,” he revealed. But he made it clear he would not name individuals, asserting that naming names would serve no productive purpose.
Touching on the latest flashpoint in the party—the escalating feud between Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe (Abronye) and former flagbearer aspirant Kennedy Agyapong—Ghartey made a direct appeal for peace. “They and their supporters should please ceasefire,” he pleaded.
He also signaled a shift in tone from more reserved party elders, declaring that silence in the face of destructive internal rivalries was no longer an option. “The time that some of us were quiet for the Party to be torn apart and destroyed by selfish interest is over,” he warned.
Despite the setbacks, Ghartey remains hopeful about the NPP’s prospects. “We have been taught a lesson, but it is just bent, not broken,” he concluded, suggesting that the current moment should be used to recalibrate rather than retreat.
His remarks come as part of a broader call from within the party for unity, reconciliation, and long-term vision, as the NPP seeks to recover, regroup, and rebuild trust among its base.
