Ahead of the primaries to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general elections, a political scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Samuel Adu Gyamfi, has told the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to ensure a level playing field for all participants.
He cautioned against bias and urged the NPP to embrace realism in selecting someone with broad-based appeal and electoral strength.
Prof Adu Gyamfi’s comments come on the heels of the pronouncement by Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, a 2024 flag bearer aspirant of the opposition NPP who had urged party members not to trade performance for sympathy.
Ken Agyapong had said that the party’s history shows it has always chosen hard work, results, and accountability over blind loyalty.
According to Mr. Agyapong, the NPP has never made it a practice to reward poor performance with a second chance, particularly in the selection of its presidential candidate.
During an encounter with some party faithful at Mampong during the late Mamponghene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu’s funeral on Saturday, June 7, 2025, Ken Agyapong noted that people who don’t perform when given an opportunity aren’t granted second chances in the party.
“The NPP doesn’t give second chances to candidates who fail to deliver. We didn’t do it for Adu Boahen, and we shouldn’t do it now,” Ken Agyapong stated.
Commenting on this on Hello FM in Kumasi, Prof Adu Gyamfi said that Kennedy Agyapong’s comments should not be misinterpreted as divisive, but rather as a sincere effort to protect the soul of the party and position it for victory in 2028.
“Ken did not insult anyone or cast aspersions. His comments were deeply rooted in historical reasoning,” Prof. Gyamfi asserted, adding that Mr. Agyapong grounded his concerns in the party’s leadership evolution and electoral history.
Using historical precedents to contextualize Agyapong’s plea, Prof. Gyamfi recalled the pivotal role of Prof. Albert Adu-Boahen in Ghana’s return to multiparty democracy in the early 1990s.
“It is trite knowledge that Adu-Boahen broke the culture of silence under Rawlings’ rule,” he said. “During the NPP’s early years, the party rallied behind him to lead the opposition in the 1992 presidential election.”
Although Prof. Adu-Boahen gained about 31% of the vote in 1992 against Jerry John Rawlings, he was not re-nominated. According to Prof. Gyamfi, this was a realistic move by the NPP, considering the electoral terrain and his performance.
“The NPP made a pragmatic choice. After Adu-Boahen’s loss, the party did not field him again—not because he wasn’t capable but because the circumstances demanded fresh strategy and appeal,” he explained.
Prof. Gyamfi further recalled how the NPP responded to alleged irregularities in the 1992 polls with the publication of The Stolen Verdict, which chronicled various electoral anomalies, including flawed voter registers and opaque ballot boxes. The party’s boycott of the subsequent parliamentary elections led to a one-party Parliament under the NDC—a situation that triggered significant electoral reforms.
“Ghanaian voters are discerning. We need leaders with credibility, influence, and a clear vision. As the NPP reorganizes, it must prioritize unity, fairness, and honest evaluation of its options. NPP cannot afford to gamble with its future,” he warned.
