The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has responded to the emergence of the newly launched United Party (UP Plus) by questioning the ideological foundation and historical legitimacy of the party’s name, rather than treating it as a political threat.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday October 18, NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, distanced the NPP from any dispute over the name “United Party,” which UP Plus has adopted following its rebranding from the Movement for Change.
According to Ahiagbah, while UP Plus may have chosen a historically significant name, its principles and self-described centrist ideology do not align with the original values that defined the UP tradition, from which the NPP traces its political lineage.
“They say they have formed a centrist party — the values that define the UP tradition are not what they are claiming, so technically, it is just a name,” he said. “There is nothing to fight about, and nobody should worry.”
He clarified that the NPP has not convened any formal discussions to challenge or respond to the creation of UP Plus. “In fact, the NPP hasn’t sat to arrive at a situation to say we are calling or chasing them here and there. If anybody said that, it is their personal opinion,” he added.
Ahiagbah’s comments come in the wake of a growing public profile for UP Plus, led by former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen and Yaw Buaben Asamoa — both former leading figures within the NPP.
The party, which officially registered with the Electoral Commission on October 3, 2025, has branded itself as a centrist alternative to the NPP and NDC, Ghana’s dominant political forces since the Fourth Republic began.
Asamoa has been vocal in asserting that UP Plus is not merely another third party, but a movement aimed at offering real solutions to Ghana’s long-standing economic and governance problems. “This is a party that is going to galvanise opinion around the problem — the economy,” he said on the show.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
