BY Daniel Bampoe
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) internal race for the 2028 Presidential ticket has taken a fiery turn, as aides to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong exchange blistering public statements over who is best placed to lead the party into the next general election.
In a lengthy response to criticisms of Dr. Bawumia’s 2024 performance, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to the former Vice President, described attempts to downplay his electoral showing as “not just laughable—it’s intellectually dishonest.”
According to Miracles Aboagye, “The so-called ‘analysis’ presented is a cherry-picked, context-free distortion of facts, designed to mislead rather than enlighten. Let’s set the record straight with logic, facts, and a touch of reality—something clearly missing in their poorly constructed argument.”
He accused Dr Bawumia’s critics of “selective amnesia” by comparing his debut election to past contests under vastly different political conditions.
“Comparing 1992, 1996, or even 2008 to 2024 is like comparing oranges to rotten apples,” Aboagye argued, noting that in 1992, “Adu Boahen contested against Rawlings, a military-turned-civilian leader with an incumbency advantage in a freshly transitioning democracy,” while in 2008, “Akufo-Addo contested against an NDC still recovering from years in opposition, with Mills as a candidate who had already lost twice before.”
On the 2024 context, Miracles Aboagye stressed that, “Bawumia faced an unprecedented economic crisis—inherited from a global pandemic, Russia–Ukraine war disruptions, and an opposition that shamelessly weaponized hardship while offering no solutions.”
Yet, he pointed out, “Dr. Bawumia secured 4.65 million votes—more than Kufuor’s first attempt (2.83m) and close to Akufo-Addo’s first-round performance (4.15m) in a far more stable economy. If we adjust for population growth and voter turnout, the argument that Dr Bawumia ‘underperformed’ collapses under its own weight.”
Responding to the claim that “second chances are for strong performers,” Miracles Aboagye said: “If Akufo-Addo—who lost in 2008 and 2012—could get multiple chances, why the sudden amnesia when it comes to Bawumia? The truth is simple: the NPP rewards resilience, not just raw numbers.”
Turning his fire on Kennedy Agyapong, Miracles Aboagye alleged: “Your candidate lost his own constituency miserably to the NDC… his divisive rhetoric and chaotic campaign style alienated floating voters, contributing to the NPP’s defeat.”
He added that, “Your candidate is a loose cannon whose only strategy is insults and threats… a liability whose reckless comments scare investors and moderate voters… a man with zero policy depth, banking on populism over substance.”
On leadership qualities, Miracles Aboagye insisted: “Dr. Bawumia is the most prepared, formidable, and winnable candidate—intelligent, assertive, with high emotional intelligence; a unifier with respect for all; incorruptible with high integrity.” By contrast, he claimed, “Your candidate’s reckless temperament, divisive rhetoric, and history of inciting violence make him utterly unfit for the presidency… Such leadership traits do not make the cut for NPP leadership, not on first chance, second chance, or even the 10th chance.”
He concluded with a warning: “Your candidate is a political suicide in waiting and that’s a cost our dear party and country cannot afford. The NPP doesn’t need a loud loser—we need a quiet winner. Bawumia has the intellect, temperament, and track record to lead the party to victory in 2028.”
But Kennedy Agyapong’s spokesperson, Kwasi Kwarteng countered with a detailed statistical critique, opening with the statement: “Second chances are not a reward for weak candidates; they are for winnable ones.”
He alleged bias in the party’s enforcement of campaign rules, saying, “It is obvious that the NEC’s directive cautioning aspirants in the NPP flagbearer race not to campaign until the Akwatia by-election was over was never intended to be enforced equally across the board.”
Kwasi Kwarteng argued that a second bid for the presidency in NPP history “has never been automatic” and is “a recognition earned through strong performance in the previous general election.”
He noted that past candidates given another chance—Adu Boahen in 1992, Kufuor in 1996, and Akufo-Addo in 2008—had all improved the party’s vote share from the previous election.
Highlighting the numbers, Kwasi Kwarteng said: “In 1992, despite the suppressive and hostile political circumstances, Adu Boahen secured over 1.2 million votes, representing 30.29%. In 1996, Kufuor pushed the NPP’s support to nearly 2.83 million votes (39.67%). In 2008, Akufo-Addo, in his first attempt, won over 4.15 million votes (49.13%), leading his opponent with 102,805 votes.”
He contrasted that with 2024, saying: “Dr. Bawumia polled 4.65 million votes (41.61%), falling far behind John Mahama’s 6.32 million votes (56.55%), leaving a gap of 1.67 million votes—the worst performance ever witnessed in the history of the Fourth Republic and also the first time the party’s flagbearer performed worse than his immediate predecessor’s debut.”
Kwarteng stressed that “Only Dr. Bawumia recorded a decline of 7.52 percentage points from Akufo-Addo’s first attempt… His 41.61% is a reversal of the upward trend we have enjoyed since 1992.”
He insisted it was “misguided and untenable” to suggest that “the same person who led us to our poorest and worst defeat ever be automatically given a second chance.”
On 2028, Kwasi Kwarteng concluded: “The election will not be about second-chance candidates; it will be about strong candidates, credible candidates, and most importantly, a winnable candidate—and that is where Kennedy Agyapong comes in. We can’t afford to present a weak candidate.”
The dueling statements lay bare deep divisions within the NPP, with both camps framing 2028 as a choice between what they see as “steady leadership” under Bawumia and “bold change” under Agyapong—signalling a bruising internal contest ahead.
