By Daniel Bampoe
With the political season heating up ahead of the 2028 general elections, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has released a detailed timetable for its presidential primaries, officially setting the stage for the selection of a flagbearer to lead the party into the next national contest.
The party has tentatively fixed January 31, 2026 for the election of a presidential candidate to lead the it into the 2028 polls.
The internal race is expected to be fiercely contested, as the opposition party prepares to transition from the current leadership and re-energize its base.
According to the official calendar, nominations will open on Tuesday, 29, 2025, and close exactly a month later, on August 28, 2025.
During this window, interested presidential hopeful within the party will be required to pick and submit their nomination forms.
Structured Vetting Process and Petitions Timeline
Following the close of nominations, the party will begin its vetting process from September 15 to 22, 2025.
This stage will see each aspirant subjected to thorough scrutiny by the vetting committee, aimed at ensuring that all contenders meet the constitutional and ethical standards set by the party.
The recommendations of the vetting committee will be forwarded to the National Council (NC) on September 29, which will be followed by a brief window — September 30 to October 3 — for the submission of petitions by aspirants or stakeholders dissatisfied with any part of the vetting outcome.
A joint meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Council will then be held on October 7 to deliberate on petitions and finalize decisions regarding the aspirants.
Publication of Nominees and Pre-Election Activities
The list of qualified aspirants will be officially published on October 8, followed by a balloting exercise on October 10 to determine the order in which candidates will appear on the ballot.
A formal Notice of Poll will be issued on October 17, signaling the official start of campaigning for the presidential slot.
The main presidential primary election is scheduled for January 31, 2026.
However, in the event that no candidate secures a clear majority (50%+1 vote) in the first round, a run-off will be held on February 14, 2026 between the top two contenders.
So far, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia— former Vice President and the NPP’s 2024 presidential candidate is believed to be the frontrunner. While he hasn’t made a formal declaration yet, he is widely expected to run again and has received public endorsements from over 60 sitting NPP MPs.
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong — outspoken former MP for Assin Central.
On April 30, 2025, he publicly announced he would contest the NPP flagbearer role for the 2028 election cycle making it his second attempt, having staged a stake in the 2023 race.
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum — former Minister of Education and MP for Bosomtwe.
He officially declared his candidacy for the 2026 flagbearer race in mid‑June 2025.
It’s not clear if his announcement was mere testing the waters.
Dr. Bryan Acheampong — MP for Abetifi and former Minister for Agriculture.
He has confirmed plans to contest the NPP flagbearer position and reportedly formed an exploratory committee in mid‑2025.
He has an elaborate campaign office in Accra where his activities are being coordinated.
Emerging Contenders
Kwabena Agyepong — former NPP General Secretary.
He is preparing to launch a campaign tomorrow to coincide with the party’s opening of nominations. With branding and campaign offices already in place, his expected formal declaration is in sight.
Former Attorney-General, Joe Ghartey, and Francis Addai Nimo, are also lacing their boots to contest just like Boakye Agyarko, former Energy Minister.
They all contested in the previous primaries with Dr Bawumia emerging victorious.
