Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former general secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has cautioned against the tribal and religious politics that have characterized the campaigns of some presidential candidates.
In light of the fact that Ghana has been practicing democracy for thirty years, he urges those who engage in such behavior to desist, arguing that it does not promote unity and knowledge.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Hello Fm, which was monitored by MyNewsGh.com, the NPP presidential candidates expressed optimism that the various camps would be able to unite and fight for a common goal after the elections.
"It is crucial that we do not organize politics based on communities, religion, or even worse, money and connections. It is not beneficial and does not promote unity and education within the party. After 30 years of democracy, which we take pride in because when you travel outside Ghana and identify yourself as a Ghanaian, you are revered, we should not allow such things to divide us, he urged the party's leadership.
His comments in response to New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for the Subin Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi, who stated that the NPP should focus its efforts on predominantly Akan or Christian areas, as these areas have always supported the NPP and will help it win the 2024 General Elections (break the eight) if it fails to win votes from areas with high Muslim or "Northern" populations.
"The empirical evidence demonstrates that we [NPP] derive our political power, support, authority, and existence from Akan-dominated or Christian-dominated areas of this country, and that's a fact," he stated matter-of-factly, adding that despite criticisms about his involvement in tribal politics, tribalism cannot be completely divorced from Ghana's politics.