BY Grace Zigah
With a week to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primary, a major shake-up has occurred in the campaign team of one of the party’s leading flagbearer aspirants.
Carlos Ahenkorah, the campaign manager for Dr. Bryan Acheampong, has reportedly stepped down from his role, raising questions about the preparedness and prospects of the Abetifi MP in the upcoming election.
The resignation was disclosed by Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo, Member of Parliament for Achiase, during an appearance on Community FM in Akyem Oda.
“As we are talking now, Bryan Acheampong’s campaign manager, Carlos Ahenkorah, has left the position. I am saying it on record,” he stated.
Marfo did not express surprise at the development, noting that Dr. Acheampong had not sufficiently prepared for a presidential bid before declaring his candidacy.
“Bryan Acheampong lacks the qualifications necessary to be president at this stage,” Marfo said on the news analysis program Asem No Nie, hosted by Kofi Appiah-Kubi.
He added that the campaign lacked the necessary strategy and organization, suggesting that many of Bryan Acheampong’s supporters were motivated by personal gain rather than belief in a successful flagbearer bid.
“All the people following him now are doing so because of the benefits, not because he could win the flagbearer race. They know he is just wasting our time,” Marfo remarked, emphasizing the need for candidates to focus on substance rather than political expediency.
He also cautioned political actors against stoking ethnic or religious tensions as the primary approaches.
The NPP is scheduled to hold its delegates’ election on Saturday, January 31, 2026, to select one of five aspirants as the party’s flagbearer.
Dr. Acheampong faces stiff competition from former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, known for his strong grassroots support, as well as former MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and former General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
Current research and party statistics indicate that Dr. Bawumia is likely to maintain a commanding lead in the contest, leaving other contenders to strategize intensely in the final days of campaigning.
Carlos Ahenkorah’s departure is likely to add further uncertainty to Dr. Acheampong’s campaign, highlighting the organizational and strategic challenges facing some aspirants in the high-stakes race for the NPP flagbearership.
Ahenkorah was former MP for Tema West as well as deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.
