By Kwadwo Nyamekye
As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) navigates the crucial months leading to its next Flagbearer contest, questions abound within the rank and file—particularly around the perceived grievances of the Kennedy Agyapong camp. Many observers are puzzled: if the two key issues his supporters claimed robbed him of victory in the 2023 presidential primaries—delegate coercion and limited campaign time—no longer exist, why the continued cry of foul play?
In the 2023 NPP Flagbearer primaries, Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central, was widely acknowledged to have entered the race later than frontrunner Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. His campaign, though vibrant and resonant with grassroots frustrations, struggled against what some critics described as an “establishment machinery” in full motion. Allegations were rife that some delegates were coerced—“whipped in line,” as the saying went—to back Dr. Bawumia, then Vice President and a candidate viewed by many as enjoying the tacit support of the sitting administration.
Yet, it is crucial to note that Agyapong himself never claimed the delegates were handpicked by Bawumia or that the entire process was rigged in that regard. He competed, campaigned hard, and ultimately accepted the outcome, albeit with lingering sentiments from his camp.
Fast forward to 2025, and the dynamics are significantly different.The NPP is now in opposition. Government appointees no longer hold the levers of power that could allegedly be used to threaten or manipulate delegate behavior. Moreover, all potential Flagbearer aspirants—whether seasoned like Agyapong or emerging like Dr. Bawumia—now operate with equal access to campaign time, delegates, and platforms.
Even more interesting is the proposed electoral structure. The same delegate base from 2023—minus the polling station executives—will determine the party’s next Flagbearer. But this should, in theory, work in Agyapong’s favor. As a 2023 contender, he already has name recognition and established rapport with these delegates. If indeed he was on the verge of victory but for the aforementioned structural disadvantages, then those hurdles no longer exist.
So, what then is the basis for continued expressions of concern from Team Ken?
Some political analysts suggest that these concerns may stem from internal campaign anxieties or a tactic to galvanize support by playing the underdog card. Others argue it may reflect a mistrust of the party’s internal structures, regardless of current conditions.
Ironically, the party’s new grassroots-centered reorganization—the Bottom-Middle-Top model—may further enhance Agyapong’s chances. With polling station executive elections expected before the Flagbearership contest, and with Agyapong’s messaging deeply aligned with grassroots sentiment, one could argue the stars are aligning for a landslide, not a struggle.
Indeed, if Kennedy Agyapong, touted by his loyalists as a political juggernaut and the true man of the people, cannot outmatch Dr. Bawumia—often dismissed by his detractors as a political “toddler”—under these fairer conditions, then serious questions must be asked about Team Ken’s actual political capital.
It is perhaps time for the Agyapong camp to trade complaints for confidence. If the playing field is now level, and the delegates unchained, then the road to victory is clear—or should be.
