National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has appealed to party faithful to exercise restraint in the face of ongoing internal disagreements, cautioning that the current tension must not be allowed to widen existing divisions.

In an interview with Channel One Newsroom on Saturday, May 3, Mustapha acknowledged that differences in opinion are expected within any political organisation, but said how those differences are expressed is critical to the party’s unity.

“What I will rather ask is that we do not deepen the cracks. It is okay to disagree but we should also mind the language,” he advised, encouraging members to show decorum even in the heat of disagreement.

His comments follow recent controversies linked to the NPP’s “Thank You” tour, which has seen heightened internal wrangling, including the withdrawal of former flagbearer hopeful Kennedy Agyapong.

Despite Agyapong’s exit, Mustapha expressed confidence in the continuity of the tour, highlighting that recent stops in the Bono East and Savannah regions were conducted peacefully and effectively.

Meanwhile, tensions escalated during a stop in Berekum when Kennedy Agyapong and Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye, clashed over the future direction of the party and its internal cohesion.

Abronye, taking the podium first, urged for a firmer grip on internal discipline and criticised figures whose public comments he believes fractured party unity ahead of the 2024 general elections. Citing insights from a post-election review led by former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, he blamed such dissent for empowering the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He also opposed Agyapong’s proposal to reconcile with suspended or sidelined members, insisting that “granting amnesty would only encourage more indiscipline and weaken party structures.”

Agyapong, a long-standing financier and leading voice in the party, rebutted Abronye’s position with equal force. He argued that openness and reconciliation were vital for rejuvenating the party base.

“Even poor people want to speak their mind—how much more those of us who have sacrificed for this party?” Agyapong asked, in what was widely seen as a sharp jab at the Bono Regional leadership. His statement received mixed reactions from the crowd, some cheering and others murmuring in disagreement.

He went further to accuse the regional leadership of neglecting grassroots members, a factor he said contributed to the NPP’s underwhelming electoral performance.