NPP is looking a presidential candidate not just anybody – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has advised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to reduce its upcoming presidential primaries into a mere contest of popularity or basic eligibility.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, monitored by DailyNewsGhana, the veteran lawmaker emphasized that the stakes in the 2028 elections are too high for the party to adopt a superficial approach in choosing its next flagbearer.

“People are coming out there because they satisfy the qualification and eligibility criteria as set out in the party’s constitution or even the national constitution,” he acknowledged. However, he insisted that being eligible alone is not enough.

His comments were in response to host Evans Mensah’s concern that the party’s expanded electoral college system may still be vulnerable to heavy monetisation—allowing well-funded aspirants to sway delegates instead of winning on merit.

“But you see, whoever should be the president of this country, we are not looking at just the qualification, eligibility criteria,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stressed.

He cautioned that the NPP must go beyond who can simply contest and rather focus on who has the capacity to lead. “We are not just looking for a flagbearer,” he stated. “We are looking for a president or a presidential candidate.”

Citing a historical warning from party elder Kwame Pianim during the 2007 NPP primaries, he recalled: “Pianim stepped in and made a profound statement that, ‘NPP, you’re not looking for a flagbearer. As for the flagbearership, any idiot could become the flagbearer.’ But we are looking for a presidential candidate who ultimately will become the president of this country.”

His remarks come at a time when multiple candidates are showing interest in leading the NPP into the next general elections, with internal concerns growing over monetisation, factionalism, and strategic direction.