By Issah Olegor
As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prepares for its crucial presidential primary on January 31, 2026, one of the party’s leading contenders, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has mounted a strong appeal to party delegates to anchor their decision on electoral viability rather than sentiment or long-standing personal allegiance.
Addressing party supporters and delegates during a campaign tour of the Central Region, Agyapong framed the upcoming contest as a defining crossroads in the NPP’s political journey, particularly after the party’s loss of power in the 2024 general elections.
According to him, the choice of a flagbearer for the 2028 elections must be guided by a clear-eyed assessment of who can realistically win back the confidence of the Ghanaian electorate.
In a direct appeal to delegates, the outspoken former Assin Central Member of Parliament urged party leaders and grassroots members to resist the temptation of choosing a candidate merely to complete the formal requirement of selecting a flagbearer.
Instead, he said the party must, for the first time, deliberately choose a candidate with proven national appeal, resilience and the political strength to secure victory at the polls.
“I am humbly pleading with you, my delegates, to do me this one favour on 31 January,” he said. “Let us not just elect a flagbearer for the sake of it. Let us, for the first time, choose a flagbearer who truly has what it takes to win power for the NPP in 2028.”
According to him, the upcoming flagbearer contest presents the NPP with a defining moment that must be approached with clarity of purpose and a strong focus on winning back government.
Kennedy Agyapong argued that the stakes of the January 31 primary go far beyond internal party competition.
He cautioned that a wrong choice could deepen internal divisions and weaken the NPP’s prospects in what is expected to be a fiercely contested 2028 general election.
In his view, the decision delegates make will shape not only the party’s electoral chances but also its unity, relevance and ability to present a credible alternative to the governing party.
The presidential hopeful stressed that the NPP cannot afford to approach the next election cycle with a candidate who struggles to connect with floating voters or energise the party’s grassroots base across the country.
Winning power in 2028, he said, would require a flagbearer who commands both loyalty within the party and broad acceptance beyond it.
