NPP flagbearer: You’re making terrible mistake in this campaign – Nana Akomea tells Ken Agyapong

Former National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea, has dismissed recent remarks made by Kennedy Agyapong in Mampong, describing them as misleading and inaccurate.

Agyapong, a former Assin Central MP and presidential hopeful, told NPP members during his early campaign efforts for the 2028 flagbearer slot that the party should not select leaders based on popularity but on performance. He said the NPP has never given a second chance to a flagbearer who performed poorly, using Prof. Adu Boahen as an example. Agyapong contrasted this with John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo, who both had strong performances before getting second chances.

In response, Akomea told Citi FM that Agyapong’s claims were false. He explained that Kufuor did not have just three months to campaign in 1996, as Agyapong claimed, but was elected in April that year, giving him eight months to campaign. He added that Kufuor got another chance not because of time constraints but because of his strong showing against Jerry Rawlings.

Akomea pointed out that if campaign duration was the reason for a second chance, then Prof. Adu Boahen—who only had two months to campaign in 1992—should have been re-nominated in 1996.

He also criticised Agyapong for suggesting that religion cost Bawumia the 2024 election. Akomea warned that introducing religion into politics is dangerous and disrespectful to Muslim members of the party. He said Bawumia won the primaries despite facing nine Christian candidates, including Agyapong himself, proving that NPP members supported him regardless of religion.

Akomea argued that Bawumia performed well in over 50 constituencies with Christian NPP parliamentary candidates, showing that religion was not a key factor in the election outcome. He said the party’s own internal review, led by Prof. Mike Oquaye, did not cite religion as a reason for the 2024 defeat.

He also pointed out a contradiction in Agyapong’s message. Agyapong blamed both Bawumia’s religion and President Akufo-Addo’s failure to appoint more NPP members for the loss. Akomea asked which of the two was the real reason.

Akomea concluded by urging Agyapong and others to avoid divisive politics and focus on truth and unity as the NPP prepares for 2028.