Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has issued a rallying call to New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters, urging them to turn out in large numbers to secure a decisive first-round victory in the upcoming 2024 elections.

Reflecting on past experiences, Kufuor emphasized the consequences of voter apathy and internal party conflicts, which he believes cost the NPP dearly in previous contests.

Speaking during a live broadcast, Kufuor highlighted the impact of party divisions during the 2020 elections. “Some chairmen connived to remove some Members of Parliament, and these persons contested as independent candidates. That affected us greatly. We lost, I think, eighteen seats, and that did not help us as a political party,” he lamented.

The former president pointed to the party’s loss in the 2008 elections as a cautionary tale. “We won the first round but lost the second round. At that time, many people who didn’t vote realized they should have, but it was too late.” He recalled how voter apathy among NPP supporters allowed their opponents to gain the upper hand, resulting in a narrow defeat.

Kufuor also spoke passionately about the importance of continuity in governance, highlighting the NPP’s achievements during his administration.

“We took an interest-free loan from the Chinese to dualize the road and construct the Nsawam bypass. We completed the Suhum road to Apedwa. Unfortunately, when we left power, the NDC did not touch the projects we left behind and did nothing about them.”