Newly elected Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, has begun efforts to heal divisions within the party following the conclusion of the regional executive elections.
As his first major reconciliation move, COKA on Sunday, August 16, 2026, visited his main contender in the election, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, at his residence in Kumasi.
The meeting brought together the two leading contenders a day after the regional election, which COKA won with 663 votes against Dr Kokofu’s 269.
COKA said rebuilding unity within the Ashanti NPP would be a priority of his administration, stressing that the party must resolve its internal differences if it hopes to return to power in 2028.
According to him, his decision to visit Dr Kokofu was deliberate and intended to demonstrate his commitment to reconciliation.
“If we will need power, there must be unity. Creating a united party was part of my campaign because without unity, we can’t win power,” he said.
He appealed to members on all sides of the contest to forgive one another and put the internal election behind them.
“In seeking unity, I had to start from here, so I will plead that we all forgive each other of all wrongdoings and work to bring the party to power,” COKA stated.
The new regional chairman said his leadership would promote collective decision-making and reconciliation across the party, beginning at the polling station level and extending to the regional structure.
Kokofu pledges support
Dr Henry Kokofu, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), welcomed COKA’s visit and pledged his support for the new regional leadership.
He said the responsibility of bringing the various sides together rested largely with the winner of the election and described COKA’s gesture as a positive beginning.
“For us now, the vehicle is unity. He, as the winner and victor, has a huge responsibility to extend the hands of invitation. He has just done that, perfect,” Dr Kokofu said.
He disclosed that although he was unable to reach COKA by phone immediately after the election, he had sent him a message to congratulate him on his victory.
“You are welcome to the seat. It is not an easy task, but with all of us around, we have to succeed,” he added.
The meeting was attended by some regional executives and other party members.
COKA has subsequently called on party supporters to move beyond the regional election and concentrate on strengthening the NPP’s grassroots structures and reclaiming parliamentary seats lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The reconciliation effort comes after the NPP lost 10 of its 47 parliamentary seats in the Ashanti Region to the NDC during the 2024 general elections.
The meeting between COKA and Dr Kokofu is therefore being viewed as an early indication of efforts to unite the party in the region and lay the groundwork for the NPP’s campaign ahead of the 2028 elections.
