By Daniel Bampoe
Veteran New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has officially declared his intention to contest the party’s upcoming presidential primaries, offering himself as the candidate to usher in what he calls “A New Dawn” for the party and the country.
In a passionate keynote address delivered at the launch of his presidential campaign headquarters in Accra, Agyepong, a former Press Secretary to President John Agyekum Kufuor and former General Secretary of the NPP, said he is stepping forward to restore the soul of a party he believes has strayed far from its founding ideals of honesty, meritocracy, and public service.
Call for Rescue and Renewal
“This is a defining moment in the history of our party and our country,” Agyepong declared to a gathering of party delegates, supporters, and media. “The soul of our party cries out for rescue. The spirit of our nation longs for renewal.”
Painting a bleak picture of the current state of the NPP and Ghana at large, he lamented the disillusionment within the party’s base and the loss of trust among the youth and civil society.
He cited high youth unemployment, widespread economic hardship, and disillusionment with political leadership as symptoms of deeper systemic failure.
“Our GDP per capita remains around $2,300 after 68 years of independence, while our peers like Singapore and South Korea have surged ahead,” he bemoaned. “How is it possible to spend over seven hours traveling from Accra to Kumasi?”
A Direct Appeal to Delegates
Agyepong’s declaration was more than a campaign announcement; it was a direct challenge to the conscience of the NPP’s electoral college. He implored delegates not to succumb to vote-buying or allow themselves to be “plucked like Stalin’s bleeding fowl” — a metaphor he used to warn against political manipulation through handouts.
“Some politicians strip us of dignity and opportunities, only to return during elections with crumbs,” he charged. “This must stop. Vote for values. Vote for principles. Vote for service.”
He positioned himself as the bridge between the party’s founding vision and its future, recalling his close working relationships with NPP icons like B.J. da Rocha, J.A. Kufuor, and Nana Akufo-Addo.
He stressed that unity must be restored to the party, and that the ongoing toxic rivalry among factions risks tearing the NPP apart.
Agyepong also used the moment to reflect on his personal journey, shaped by early tragedy and lifelong service.
The murder of his father, Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong — one of the judges abducted and killed in the infamous June 30, 1982 murders under the PNDC regime — became a defining turning point in his life.
“That tragedy could have broken me, but I chose to rise and serve,” he said. “I chose to live in a way that would honour my father’s legacy of dignified service, justice, and fairness.”
He reminded party members of his loyalty through decades of NPP political history — from his early activism and work under President Kufuor to his tenure as General Secretary, and his return to support President Akufo-Addo’s re-election after a controversial suspension from the party.
“Even when personal pain and injustice came my way, I remained loyal. Because for me, politics is not about self. It’s about people,” he said.
The New Dawn Agenda
Kwabena Agyepong’s campaign is anchored on what he called “The New Dawn” — a vision for national revival built on values-driven leadership and long-term structural transformation.
Among his priorities are:
Reforming the national salary regime to reward productivity and restore dignity to public service.
Re-engineering Ghana’s cities to tackle traffic congestion and boost productivity.
Revamping agriculture and industrial value chains to reduce imports and create local jobs.
Promoting technical education, sports, and entrepreneurship to empower the youth.
Enforcing law and order rigorously and dealing decisively with corruption.
Building an economy that works for everyone — not just a privileged few.
“This is not a dream. It is a plan,” he stressed. “And by the Grace of God, I have the competence, institutional memory, and moral authority to lead this renewal.”
Touting a scandal-free public service record spanning nearly four decades, Kwabena Agyepong presented himself as a unifier and a candidate with the clean hands and clear conscience needed to rebuild party trust and national confidence.
“I have no baggage,” he stated unequivocally. “I have served every leader of this party with loyalty and distinction. I am the bridge between our roots and our future.”
In a message aimed at healing the rifts within the NPP, he warned against choosing candidates who leave behind trails of division and bitterness. “We need a path to unity, not enmity. We cannot afford another cycle of internal war that would require endless reconciliation,” he cautioned.
A Return to Values
Throughout his speech, Kwabena Agyepong reiterated that the time had come for the NPP to return to its core values of Development in Freedom.
He lamented what he described as the commodification of politics and urged a recommitment to the party’s founding vision as the party of progress, decency, and service.
“The NPP must of necessity return to its roots,” he declared. “Let us once again become the proud tradition that inspires decent people to join politics.”
