The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is facing renewed internal friction following its Delegates Conference on Saturday, July 19, with allies of presidential hopeful Kennedy Agyapong accusing party organizers of engineering a staged show of support for rival candidate and former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
In a statement released Sunday, July 20,campaign spokesperson Kwasi Kwarteng alleged that Bawumia received preferential treatment at the high-stakes event, held at the University of Ghana Stadium. According to Mr. Kwarteng, only Dr. Bawumia was granted access to the stadium’s inner perimeter, enabling him to greet delegates directly—a privilege denied to all other aspirants.
“This exclusive access, which was conveniently captured and widely circulated, creates a skewed and clearly engineered impression of massive support,” Kwarteng said. He added that real grassroots sentiment was visible outside the inner arena, where Agyapong and other contenders were confined during the proceedings.
Comparing crowd reactions and media optics, Kwarteng contended that the inner-circle access distorted public perception of support within the party. “You can even compare the videos of Ken’s entry to that of Dr. Bawumia, and you’ll understand the point clearly,” he stated.
The Agyapong campaign sees the situation as a continuation of what it describes as poor political judgment by party leadership—decisions that, they argue, contributed to the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 general election, marking the first time the party lost power in the Fourth Republic.
“This is the same path we’re going down again,” Mr. Kwarteng warned, adding, “If we haven’t learnt any lessons, then maybe we need to take a class at the Patriotic Institute.”
The campaign called on party delegates to look beyond what it called “choreographed endorsements” and resist a “leadership-imposed narrative” in the run-up to the 2026 presidential primaries. “2028 is about winning elections, not staged endorsements,” the statement concluded.
The conference drew thousands of delegates, party executives, former government officials, and presidential aspirants, setting the stage for what is expected to be a heated internal contest over who will lead the NPP into the 2028 national elections.
While Dr. Bawumia received visible cheers and broad media coverage at the event, the reaction from the Agyapong camp underscores the lingering tensions and political stakes within the party as it seeks to redefine its identity and regain national leadership.
