Fourteen out of the sixteen regional chairmen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have expressed strong opposition to a petition submitted by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, reportedly backed by former President John Agyekum Kufuor, seeking the postponement of the party’s scheduled early national delegates conference.
Currently, five prominent figures within the party have declared their intention to contest the NPP’s flagbearership. These include former Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum (Bosomtwe Constituency); former Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Bryan Acheampong, MP; former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong; former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyapong; former Minister of Energy Boakye Agyarko; and former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking to Kumasi Mail ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for Monday, July 14, 2025, a senior regional chairman from the Bono Region revealed that the majority of regional leaders strongly back the early congress.
“I’m a member of the regional chairmen’s caucus, and I can say on authority that 14 out of the 16 regional chairmen are in favour of holding the congress early. Only two are opposed,” he stated.
He underscored the urgency of electing a flagbearer by January 2026, citing internal party disunity and the consequences of the party’s heavy defeat to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 general elections.
“Our party is in crisis—facing deep divisions and internal power struggles. Electing a flagbearer early is critical to restoring order and unity,” he asserted.
Referencing the recent re-run of the Ablekuma North parliamentary primary, he expressed concern over the growing leadership vacuum within the party.
“Look at what happened in Ablekuma North. The General Secretary, under NEC’s directive, announced that the party would not participate in the re-run at 19 polling stations. Yet, our 2024 parliamentary candidate, Akua Afriyie, defied that and went ahead with support from some members. That incident alone shows how fractured our ranks have become,” he added.
Checks by Kumasi Mail within the party’s parliamentary caucus reveal that 16 out of 20 MPs also support the call for an early national delegates conference. A member of the caucus confirmed that Parliamentarians are united in pushing for early internal elections to address the party’s growing challenges.
“In Parliament, we are aligned on this. We lost the 2024 elections to the NDC by almost two million votes. Without early preparation and unity, we cannot hope to close that gap,” the MP said.
He also dismissed the alleged proposal from President Akufo-Addo to revert to a top-down model for electing party executives.
“If such a proposal surfaces, it won’t survive ten minutes in deliberation. It will be rejected outright,” he emphasized.
The top-down approach, which is reportedly gaining quiet support among some outgoing executives and a segment of the grassroots, aims to re-centralize decision-making power within the party’s lower-tier structures.
However, resistance to the proposal remains strong, particularly among regional executives and members of the parliamentary caucus. Within the national leadership, only Acting National Chairman Smith Danquah Butey is said to be hesitant about endorsing the early congress.
Sources, however, indicate that he may revise his stance before the NEC convenes next week.
