Hot SourceThe contest for the flagbearer position of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) continues to intensify, with the party’s two leading contenders, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong, staging competing displays of strength yesterday, Thursday, June 19, 2025, ahead of the presidential primaries set for January 31, 2026.
60 Members of Parliament from the minority side reportedly visited the Nima office of former Vice President and 2024 Presidential Candidate Dr Bawumia yesterday to pledge their support for his renewed presidential bid.
His main contender, Kennedy Agyapong, also spent the day hosting an estimated 268 former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the previous Akufo-Addo administration at a lavish lunch.
While, Mohammed Amin Adam, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Sammi Awuku, were key figures at Bawumia’s office, and led the pledge for him, the MP for Obuasi West, Kwaku Kwarteng, the Nhyiaeso MP, Dr Stephen Amoah, and the Hemang Lower Denkyira MP, Lawrence Agyinsam, attended Mr Agyapong’s lunch.
With the NPP currently holding 88 parliamentary seats, the backing of 60 MPs is considered a major show of internal support for Dr Bawumia, widely interpreted as a signal of momentum behind his expected 2028 presidential campaign.
Five prominent aspirants have emerged in the race for the NPP flagbearership, including Dr Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong, Kwabena Agyapong, Bryan Acheampong, and Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.
In a video that has already gone viral on social media, lawmaker for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, is heard telling a journalist, “We are here to hear to see his Excellency and also have a discussion with him as far as the presidential primary is concern and also hear from him if it is something that he is considering.”
“That was a very happy visit. It was a courtesy call and a call to declare support for me. I’m so happy about the group that has declared support for me from Parliament,” Dr Bawumia stated
He thanked the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Kweku Ampratwum-Sarpong, for organising the group.
Commenting on this matter on his Facebook page, Dr Bawumia’s spokesperson, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, said, “DMB remains our fastest path to election 2028 victory.”
The National Council of the Opposition Party has scheduled January 31, 2026, for the Presidential Primary.
The NPP National Executive Council (NEC) has set Saturday, January 31, 2026, as the date for its Presidential primaries.
This is the outcome of an NEC meeting held on June 17.
The meeting, held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, was used by the Prof Mike Oquaye committee to deliberate on proposed constitutional reforms.
Due to the indisposition of the National Chairman, Stephen Ntim, the meeting was chaired by the First Vice Chairman, Danquah Smith Buttey.
It was attended by high-ranking party members, including former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako.
Although the party has yet to announce the opening of nominations for the presidential primaries, some aspirants have declared their intentions. They include 2024 presidential candidate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong, and Dr Bryan Acheampong.
They lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2024. This resulted in the formation of a committee chaired by former Speaker of Parliament and former MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Prof Mike Aaron Oquaye, to ascertain the cause of the defeat.
Although the findings of the committee have not been made public, snippets leaked to the media indicate that the performance of former President Akufo-Addo, former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, as well as the candidature of Dr Bawumia, contributed to the poor showing of the NPP.
Kennedy Agyapong wrote on his facebook page saying “Today, I had the honour of meeting with 268 former MMDCEs at my private office in Accra. We had a frank and forward-looking conversation about the future of our party and our beloved country. I emphasized the urgent need to rebuild our party on the foundation of unity, fairness, and respect for grassroots leadership,” he posted on Facebook on June 19.
“I also reaffirmed my decision to contest in the upcoming primaries and shared my deep concern about the unfair treatment all MMDCEs faced under the previous administration. Excessive centralization in Accra undermined local governance, stripped MMDCEs of real power, and stalled development in our communities,” he pointed out during the meeting over food and drinks.
Ken Agyapong, the former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, said he assured them that, “under my leadership, that will change. It’s time to restore dignity to public service and give real power back to the people on the ground. Together, we will rebuild and rise.”
Meanwhile, an aide to Dr Bryan Acheampong, has said that the campaign team is unbothered by the recent visit of 60 NPP MPs who have declared their support for his presidential bid.
While speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story yesterday, Dr Dickson Adomako Kissi stated that their camp remains focused on charting a distinct path toward the 2026 primary, despite the growing endorsement of Dr Bawumia by some parliamentary members.
“Well, as far as we’re concerned, we are unperturbed – very key thing,” Dr Kissi said.
“We’re more interested in doing something very different from what we’ve always been doing. So I must admit that this noise, or as it is, statement of declaration, is shocking for me, or surprising, because in my discussions with their leadership, at some point, it was very clear in my mind that the ninth Parliamentarians will not, as it is, make a declaration.”
He expressed surprise at the public display of allegiance by the MPs, explaining that there was an earlier understanding that the NPP lawmakers would maintain neutrality in the interest of party cohesion.
Dr Kissi confirmed that while Mr Acheampong’s campaign had expressed some reservations during the NPP’s recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which set January 31, 2026, as the date for the presidential primary, they remain committed to working within the framework laid out by the party.
“Though we had reservations, I think during the meeting it was made known. Subsequent to that, we think that once the party has set a date, we will work within that,” he said.
He added that the camp intends to issue a formal statement next week.
“I will not do a preemptive statement, but I think the feedback is very positive.”
Bryan Acheampong, the MP for Abetifi and former Minister for Food and Agriculture, is one of the notable figures expected to contest the NPP flagbearership race for the 2028 general elections.
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