…as Internal Battle Lines Harden
By Prince Ahenkorah
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has formally cleared five contenders for its January 31, 2026 presidential primary, setting the stage for what insiders predict will be one of the most ideologically and strategically charged contests in the party’s history.
Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, ex-Agriculture Minister Dr. Bryan Acheampong, former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, businessman and MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and former General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong have all passed vetting, according to correspondence from the NPP Presidential Elections Committee.
The five aspirants are expected to participate in a supervised balloting exercise this Friday to determine their positions on the ballot paper. The process will be overseen by party electoral officers and independent observers, a move aimed at preempting allegations of bias or manipulation.
Sources close to the Vetting Committee, chaired by former Defence Minister Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, say the process was exhaustive scrutinizing candidates’ loyalty, financial standing, and capacity to unify the party ahead of the 2028 general elections.
While all five cleared the bar, party insiders note that the real contest will be fought on the ground, where regional allegiances, factional histories, and personal charisma will determine the outcome.
Dr. Bawumia enters the race as the establishment’s preferred candidate, buoyed by his technocratic credentials and proximity to power. His campaign is expected to lean heavily on continuity and economic stewardship.
Kennedy Agyapong, meanwhile, remains the populist insurgent. His “Showdown” mantra first aired during the 2023 Super Delegates Conference continues to resonate with grassroots supporters disillusioned with elite politics.
Dr. Bryan Acheampong positions himself as the strategic stabilizer, offering discipline and institutional memory. Dr. Adutwum’s pitch is reformist, anchored in education and innovation. Kwabena Agyepong, the party’s former scribe, is running as the unity candidate, calling for a return to the NPP’s founding ethos.
The Notice of Poll is expected next week, with over 200,000 delegates set to vote across all 16 regions. Party leadership has urged restraint, warning aspirants against divisive rhetoric that could fracture the NPP ahead of the national elections.
With the field now officially cleared, the race moves from vetting rooms to campaign battlegrounds. The stakes are high—not just for the aspirants, but for the future direction of the NPP itself.