As the New Patriotic Party draws the curtain on January 31st, a decisive moment in our internal democratic journey, it is worth pausing to reflect. Not only on ambition and competition, but on conduct, language, and responsibility. This is a moment that tests not just conviction, but restraint, and the very character of our party.
Contests within a great political tradition like the NPP are never easy. They are animated by passion and a genuine desire to serve. Every presidential aspirant who has stepped forward deserves commendation. Campaigns have been vigorously fought, ideas robustly tested, and supporters mobilised with energy across the country. For this, all candidates deserve congratulations.
Yet as the final stretch approaches, restraint must take precedence over rhetoric.
Words have no soul, yet they can wound more deeply and more enduringly than gunshots or spears. Where as injuries can at least be treated and healed, words; once spoken, cannot be recalled. They linger, harden perceptions, and leave scars that no post-contest handshakes or brief apologies can fully erase when they cut too deep.
It is therefore incumbent on both aspirants and their supporters to be mindful. Political competition must never descend into personal destruction. Hurtful accusations, careless insults, and reckless insinuations, often delivered in moments of heightened emotion, may win applause in the short term, but they weaken the very foundation upon which future unity must be built. Supporters, in particular, must remember that silence in the face of misconduct is also a choice. Inflammatory language from surrogates can inflict as much damage as words spoken directly by aspirants. Discipline is not weakness; it is leadership.
We must also remind ourselves of a fundamental truth: the real battle is not January 31st. The real battle is the national election of 2028. No internal contest, no matter how heated, should jeopardize that long-term goal.
No matter who emerges victorious from this process, the NPP can only succeed in 2028 if it remains united, focused, and credible in the eyes of the Ghanaian people. Lingering bitterness, unresolved grudges, and the public airing of internal grievances serve only our political opponents, not the party, and certainly not the nation. History teaches us that parties do not lose elections solely because of poor messaging or external forces. More often, they lose because internal fractures were ignored and left unattended. How we conclude this contest matters just as much as the outcome itself.
This is, therefore, a call for measured words, calm conduct, and renewed purpose. Let ambition be guided by maturity. Let victory, when it comes, be worn with humility. Let disappointment, if it comes, be carried with dignity. Let our experience, our service, and our commitment to Ghana guide both our words and our deeds.
As January 31st approaches, may wisdom guide our tongues, discipline guide our actions, and unity guide our hearts, for the sake of the party and for the greater task that lies ahead in 2028.
Amb. Edward Boateng
