The newly elected Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as Asanteman COKA, has called on members of the party in the region to forgive one another and put their internal differences behind them to rebuild a united front ahead of the 2028 general elections.

He said reconciliation and unity were critical to strengthening the party and creating the conditions needed for the NPP to return to power in 2028.

Asanteman COKA made the call during an interdenominational Thanksgiving Service in Kumasi, organised by the Ashanti Regional chapter of the NPP to thank God following the successful regional executive elections.

Addressing party members at the service, he urged those who developed grievances during the internal contest to set them aside and work together in the interest of the party.

“We are one family”

The Regional Chairman said the NPP could not afford to remain divided if it was serious about regaining political power in 2028.

He pledged to run an inclusive administration and unite the party from the polling-station level through to the regional level, regardless of how individual members voted during the regional elections.

“I will be a chairman for all, whether you voted for me or not. I will lead to unite this party from the polling station to the region,” he said.

He also extended an olive branch to members with whom he may have had disagreements, asking them to reciprocate his gesture of forgiveness.

“Those who offended me, I have forgiven you. Those I offended too, please find a place in your heart to forgive me. We are one family,” he stated.

Inclusive leadership

Asanteman COKA said his administration would seek to bring together all sections of the party in the region as part of efforts to rebuild its organisational strength.

He pledged to work closely with Members of Parliament, the NPP Council of Elders, former regional executives, former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and other party members.

According to him, rebuilding the NPP would require the collective contribution of both current and former party leaders, as well as grassroots members.

He said the party’s fortunes could only be restored through cooperation and a deliberate effort to heal divisions created during internal contests.

Calls for prayers

The Regional Chairman also appealed to members to continue praying for him and the newly elected regional executives as they begin their mandate.

He acknowledged the magnitude of the task ahead and said he would require wisdom, humility and the support of party members to successfully lead the regional organisation.

“The work ahead is huge. I need wisdom to unite the party, wisdom to lead, and humility to serve. I need your help to deliver this mandate,” he stated.

NPP targets 80% in Ashanti

Asanteman COKA also set an ambitious electoral target for the party in the Ashanti Region ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

He said the NPP would aim to secure more than 80 per cent of the presidential votes in the Ashanti Region for the party and its presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

The target would require the party to consolidate its traditional support base in the region while working to regain the confidence of voters who may have become disillusioned with the party.

His call for forgiveness and reconciliation therefore forms part of a broader effort to rebuild unity within the NPP and strengthen its grassroots structures ahead of the next general election.

For the Ashanti Regional leadership, the immediate challenge is to translate the goodwill generated by the successful regional elections into sustained party cohesion and organisational mobilisation.

The message from the new chairman was clear: internal divisions must give way to reconciliation, and the party must unite at every level if it is to mount a credible campaign to regain power in 2028.