A former flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has taken a veiled swipe at the party’s 2024 flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over his reported plans to contest again.
According to him, the party cannot afford to repeat a presidential candidate who performed poorly in his first attempt at the national polls.
Addressing party supporters at Asante Mampong over the weekend, the former Assin Central MP argued that even the party’s first flagbearer, Professor Albert Adu Boahen, was dropped in the 1996 elections after his loss in 1992.
“When he attempted the NPP flagbearership once and it didn’t go well, we didn’t go with him again. We honoured his legacy, but we were also realistic about our electoral prospects,” he said.
“In the 1992 Ghanaian presidential election, Professor Albert Adu Boahen faced off against incumbent Jerry John Rawlings. Despite the NPP’s allegations of electoral fraud, the Electoral Commission declared Rawlings the winner with 58.4% of the vote.”
He explained that unlike Adu Boahen, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo were given repeated opportunities because their electoral performances gave the party hope.
“Kufuor had only three to four months to campaign the first time, yet his performance was mind-boggling and encouraging. That’s why we gave him another shot.
“Kufuor’s second run paid off handsomely for the party when he won the 2000 elections, becoming Ghana’s second democratically elected president in the Fourth Republic,” he added.
Touching on Akufo-Addo, he said, “In 2008, Akufo-Addo got 49.3%, just short of the 50% needed for a win. In 2012, when he contested again, many believed he was cheated. Yet, he respected the court’s verdict, showing leadership and maturity. His performance across all 10 regions improved each time.
“We allowed Nana Addo to lead us three times because his numbers were encouraging, and he gave us hope in each election.”
According to Mr. Agyapong, the same cannot be said about Dr. Bawumia, who lost nearly 2 million of the NPP’s 2020 votes in the 2024 election.
“Can we risk the 2028 election as a party? It’s time to be realistic and honest with ourselves. We can’t afford to gamble with our party’s future,” he added.
