Dome Kwabenya’s 2024 Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Oquaye Jnr, has called on party members to exercise restraint and embrace unity after the conclusion of the internal voting process, stressing that political contests should not degenerate into hostility and personal attacks.
“Some of us, we have done primaries so many times. We have done elections on so many occasions. In the long run, nobody will die,” Mr. Oquaye Jnr said, urging supporters to lower tensions on voting day.
He noted that while emotions often run high during internal contests, there was no justification for insults and acrimony among party members. According to him, the end of voting should mark the beginning of reconciliation and cooperation.
“We don’t have to kill ourselves, insult each other, say all sorts of things that are not nice. But today is the last day. After that, we need unity,” he stressed.
Drawing from his own political experience, Mr. Oquaye Jnr said he had previously lost primaries but chose to work with his opponents immediately afterward, a posture he described as essential for party growth.
“I’ve lost primaries before. As soon as I finished at the venue, I mentioned that best of luck to my opponents and started working with them,” he said.
He argued that anyone aspiring to lead the party, particularly at the presidential level, must demonstrate emotional maturity and an ability to accommodate differing views.
“If you want to stand to be a president in terms of flag-bearer and be a president, you must be emotionally mature to do politics and understand that when you also lose, everybody will come and work on board,” Mr. Oquaye Jnr noted.
The Dome Kwabenya parliamentary candidate also criticised negative campaigning, warning that persistent attacks on fellow party members undermine cohesion and weaken the party’s internal democratic processes.
“So don’t say that no this, no good, no this, no good. That kind of campaign is not welcome,” he said.
On predictions about the outcome of the vote, Mr. Oquaye Jnr declined to comment while polling was still ongoing, insisting it would be unfair to make projections before all delegates had voted.
“Some people listening with me here have not yet voted. We want to play the rules fair and right, so we won’t say anything about that,” he explained.
He added that he would only offer his assessment after the close of polls, when voting had officially ended.
