These were the remarks made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his meeting with New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicators at Jubilee House, the official residence of the Ghanaian presidency, on August 2nd, 2023.
In response to a plea from the NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, regarding the party's conduct in the upcoming election, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of not repeating the setbacks experienced by the NPP in 2008.
"We all witnessed the erosion of President John Agyekum Kufuor's achievements during the subsequent NDC government under John Dramani Mahama, from 2009 to 2017," the President acknowledged.
He further stated, "Under the NDC's eight-year rule, our nation became infamous for four years of ongoing power outages ('dumsor'), economic mismanagement, questionable energy contracts, and rampant corruption. We must ensure that history does not repeat itself."
As the NPP enters the final stages of internal contests, President Akufo-Addo expressed concern over certain party members' actions garnering negative publicity. Rather than directing their energy towards the opposition, they were engaging in infighting that even extended to criticizing the government.
"It has been a trying period for those of us who cherish our party and see it as the vehicle for progress and prosperity in our country," he remarked. "Therefore, in my capacity as the President of the Republic and the de-facto leader of our party, I aim to prevent the repetition of past mistakes that contributed to our loss in 2008. We cannot allow our internal campaign to be driven by ethnic or religious considerations."
Referring to the NPP as the party of national unity, he vehemently rejected the allegations from a few party members that his government was intimidating or coercing supporters to back a specific presidential aspirant, namely the Vice President. He clarified that no one could claim he had personally asked for their support.
"I have not fired or threatened to fire any MMDCE or political appointee for endorsing a particular candidate," President Akufo-Addo stressed. "No minister or deputy minister has lost their position for openly campaigning for their preferred aspirant. I assure you, this is not the way I operate."
He underlined that the NPP's presidential candidate would be chosen freely and transparently by an Electoral College of about 250,000 people, and not by himself. He emphasized that unity within the party and the ability to defeat John Dramani Mahama, the perennial NDC candidate, in the 2024 presidential election were his primary concerns.
While acknowledging that differences of opinion were valid, particularly regarding campaign strategies, President Akufo-Addo made it clear that jeopardizing the party's objective of winning the 2024 elections was unacceptable to him.
"I assume we all desire a resounding victory for our party in 2024, a majority of parliamentary seats, and the election of our flagbearer as President," he stated. "I welcome discussions on how to achieve this goal, but I will not tolerate any actions that undermine our objective. I am ready to work with all who share this aim."
Regarding the economy, the President noted that Ghana had experienced significant growth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the years prior, the country had been one of the world's fastest-growing economies, with an annual GDP growth rate of 7% compared to the 3.4% inherited from the NDC government.
"Given the global uncertainties we faced, the economy would have experienced even more growth," President Akufo-Addo emphasized.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to achieving victory for the NPP in the upcoming election and ensuring a smooth transfer of power to a duly elected NPP President.
"I am dedicated to working towards our party's triumph in the 2024 elections, the victory of our parliamentary candidates, and the election of our flagbearer as President. I expect and respect differing opinions on our approach but will not tolerate anything that hinders our goal. I am prepared to collaborate with all those striving for these objectives," he concluded.