Private legal practitioner and social commentator, has given a damning verdict on the front runners in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race, slated for January 31, 2026.
According to Martin Kpebu, none of the aspirants especially the lead contenders is fit for purpose and will make any head way if the party brings them in the 2028 general election.
Sharing his views on the recent survey by the Mussa Dankwa-led Global InfoAnalytic polls on the impending primary where some 2, 656 delegates were surveyed, he wrote off all the over 7 aspirants, including the former Vice President and former presidential aspirant.
The polls, which also included the national chairmanship race, putting former general secretary, John Boadu ahead, put Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at 52%, former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Assin Central constituency trailed him at 17%.
The MP for Kwaku Abetifi constituency and former Food and Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong who boasts that he has financed the NPP more than anyone, was placed third with negligible 3%.
Others aspirants placed poorly with former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum 1% and former General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong, Boakye Agyarko and Addai Nimo each gaining less than 1% each.
Zooming in on one after the other, Kpebu boldly said Dr Bawumia was not marketable owing to his abysmal record in government vis-a-vis in opposition where he was touted as he whiz kid.
According to him, the former deputy Bank of Ghana (BoG) governor was exposed as he could not do anything concerning all he trumpeted against the then Mahama government when he came into government as head of the economic management team.
He said what the former vice president should do is to begin to groom a younger Muslim because there is absolutely no chance for him and after the 2028 election, he will by then be 70 years and Ghanaians may not want to vote someone as old as him.
On Ken Agyapong, another self-acclaimed financier of the NPP, Kpebu said he stands not chance to lead Ghana.
He said contrary to his claim as self-made man, the former MP acquired his wealth through relying on government contracts especially during former President John Agyekum Kufuor era.
Initially, the businessman did not even have the intention to contest as NPP flagbearer however, he realized he could potentially be president after former President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia’s awful performances in government pushed him to also jump into the fray in 2023 and continuing it till date.
“Agyapong the self-made man he touts himself today is based on government contracts. You think today if Honorable were to become President I will not also go and get contract? So that is Agyapong’s success.
That he knew Kufuor, gave Agyapong contract, Akufo-Addo did the same so Agyapong has built his life on government contracts all of us sitting here can also execute government contracts and become rich.
So, I don’t know what Agyapong has every day he makes a lot of noise, so I am saying that look I am saying that Agyapong is not any self-made nan forget it, forget it, he built his career on government contracts.
There are businessmen who have built their businesses from scratch, out of government, those are people we will celebrate not Agyapong. Agyapong doesn’t command respect with me”, he said on the Keypoints programme on TV3 on Saturday August 23.
In his views the former Minister, Kpebu recalled Dr Acheampong’s comment suggesting that the NPP was not going to hand over power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) whether they win or lose.
The remark he said was recipe for disaster. “Bryan Acheampong? It will not happen, it will not happen. The violet man? No way. Bryan Acheampong?” he said quoting the MP and Minister during the 2024 general election.
His prescription of the future of the NPP should be that, the party starts grooming the younger members like former Minister for Information and also Works and Housing Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Patrick Yaw Boamah who come across as credible, forward looking and competent.
“None of them, you see, the real candidates are those outside here–Patrick Boamah, Adutwum who at a point I kind of thought maybe he will be a good candidate but I think right now I am clear in my mind that the real candidate for 2032 they should be looking at Patrick Boamah and then Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.”
By Gifty Boateng