By: Bridget Mensah
Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has won the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race, beating his closest rival, Kennedy Agyapong, by a comfortable margin. However, despite his defeat, Agyapong has won the hearts of many Ghanaians with his charismatic personality and his willingness to speak his mind.
Bawumia’s victory was largely expected, as sitting Vice President and had the support of the “NPP establishment”. However, his performance in the flagbearership race was somewhat underwhelming, given that he only managed to secure 61.43% of the vote as against Ken Agyapong’s 37.4%. This suggests that there is a significant portion of the NPP membership that is not convinced of his ability to lead the party to victory in the 2024 general election.
Agyapong, on the other hand, ran a much more spirited campaign and was able to connect with voters on a personal level. His campaign message of economic populism and willingness to tackle corruption resonated with many Ghanaians, even those who do not support the NPP.
He secured some resounding wins in constituencies like Ahanta West Shama, Wassa East, Kwesimintsim and Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region, Zebilla and Binduri in the Upper East Region and surprisingly garnered a total of 5845 votes across the Volta Region, where he is most unpopular beating Bawumia who had 4984.
Despite his defeat, Agyapong has come out of the flagbearership race stronger than ever. He has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with in Ghanaian politics and that he has a bright future ahead of him.
Why is it funny that a candidate with the support of an entire government could only pull 61.43% in an internal election?
It is funny because it shows that even within the NPP, there is a significant lack of confidence in Bawumia’s ability to lead the party. This could be due to several factors, such as his perceived lack of charisma, his poor performance as Vice President, or his close association with the unpopular President Akufo-Addo.
What does Agyapong’s strong performance in the flagbearership race mean for the NPP?
It means that the NPP is a divided party and that there is a significant number of members who are unhappy with the current leadership. This could hurt the party’s chances of winning the 2024 general election.
What does the future hold for Kennedy Agyapong?
Agyapong is still a relatively young man and has a bright future ahead of him in Ghanaian politics. He is a charismatic and popular figure, and he has a strong connection with the grassroots. He could run for the NPP flagbearership again in 2028, or he could choose to pursue a different political career.
Bawumia’s victory in the NPP flagbearership race was unsurprising, but his underwhelming performance raises questions about his ability to lead the party to victory in the 2024 general election against the National Democratic Congress’ candidate John Dramani Mahama who got over 90% during their internal elections. Agyapong’s strong performance, on the other hand, suggests that he is a force to be reckoned with in Ghanaian politics and that he could have a bright future ahead of him.
By: Bridget Mensah
