BY Daniel Bampoe
The political battle for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership in 2028 has intensified in the Eastern Region, as 15 Members of Parliament (MPs) loyal to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia have clashed with presidential hopeful Dr. Bryan Acheampong over campaign financing and endorsements.
In a joint statement dated September 30, 2025, the MPs accused Acheampong of fabricating claims to undermine their public endorsement of Dr. Bawumia, while the former Minister has also hit back, insisting that grassroots delegates — not parliamentary endorsements — will decide the party’s next leader.
Accusations
The Abetifi MP, Bryan Acheampong, who hails from the Eastern Region, during a constituency tour in Achiase on September 25, 2025, brushed aside the impact of parliamentary endorsements, describing them as insignificant compared to the power of grassroots delegates.
“There are 20,000 strong delegates in this region who will vote. Fifteen MPs pale in comparison. It is the base of the party that counts — and that base is with me,” Acheampong told a cheering crowd.
He insisted that his campaign is anchored on empowering the grassroots, not chasing elite endorsements.
“The race is not about MPs or endorsements in Accra. It is about reconnecting with the ordinary members who carry the party at the polling station level,” he stressed.
Acheampong when addressing the delegates at Nsawam, Ayensuano, and New Juaben South constituencies, respectively claim that he facilitated campaign funds in 2024, suggesting that if polling station executives did not receive allocations, then constituency leaders should explain why.
“I made sure money went down to constituencies, and if people did not receive it, they should ask their constituency executives and MPs what happened,” he said.
According to him, the controversy proves his point that the party needs “renewal, transparency, and a deeper focus on the base.”
He described the MPs’ backlash as a desperate attempt to undermine his rising popularity among delegates.
MPs Hit Back At Acheampong
In a rebuttal, the 15 MPs, who openly backed Dr. Bawumia earlier in September, rejected Acheampong’s suggestion that some of them privately apologised after their endorsement.
“There is absolutely no truth in Hon. Bryan Acheampong’s assertion that some of us privately called him after our press conference to downplay our declaration. We challenge him, in the spirit of truth and accountability, to publicly name the MPs he alleges contacted him,” the MPs declared.
They also dismissed his claim of exchanging text messages with Dr. Bawumia.
“We further challenge Hon. Bryan Acheampong to provide evidence of the alleged text message exchanges with Dr. Bawumia… Failure to produce this evidence will only expose his claim as a deliberate falsehood designed to hoodwink delegates,” the statement added.
The MPs accused Bryan Acheampong of sowing division within the party by alleging that he personally financed campaign operations in the Eastern Region during the 2024 elections.
“For the avoidance of doubt: campaign funds disbursed in the Eastern Region during the 2024 elections did not come from the personal resources of Hon. Bryan Acheampong. These funds were contributions from party financiers and businessmen who supported the presidential campaign of Dr. Bawumia,” they clarified.
They further alleged that what eventually reached them was less than originally agreed, with many MPs having to “supplement from their own resources to ensure the success of the campaign.”
To settle the controversy, they called on Dr. Bawumia’s 2024 campaign leadership — specifically the Campaign Manager and Finance Committee Chairman — to “publicly clarify the exact amounts of money that were given to Hon. Bryan Acheampong for operations in the Eastern Region, and to explain how those funds were intended to be utilized.”
The statement concluded: “We, the undersigned Eastern Regional MPs, remain firm, united, and unwavering in our support for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. We consider Hon. Bryan Acheampong’s allegations as baseless, divisive, and calculated to serve his personal agenda. We therefore call on him to retract his false claims immediately and desist from any further attempts to undermine the unity and integrity of our great party.”
Signatories
The statement was signed by:
Hon. Nana Ampaw Kwame Addo Frempong
Hon. Kingsley Agyemang
Hon. Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo
Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah
Hon. Sammi Awuku
Hon. Ida Adjoa Asiedu
Hon. Kwame Appiah Kodua
Hon. Laurette Korkor Asante
Hon. Duke Ofori-Atta
Hon. Alexander Agyare
Hon. Michael Okyere Baaf
Hon. Frank Annoh Dompreh
Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe
Hon. Charles Asuako Owiredu
The fifteen MPs insisted their collective stance was to protect party unity while ensuring transparency in campaign financing.
