NPP needs a winnable candidate, not a humble man – Ken Agyapong’s spokesperson jabs Samira Bawumia

A subtle but sharp political exchange has emerged within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following recent comments by Samira Bawumia about her husband, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Her remarks were quickly countered by Kwasi Kwarteng, spokesperson for Kennedy Agyapong, a former presidential hopeful of the party.

During a meeting with executives of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) from the Ashanti Region at her office in Accra, Samira Bawumia praised her husband, describing him as a “humble, thoughtful, and considerate politician.” She was quick to stress that Dr. Bawumia’s humility should not be mistaken for weakness.

“He is a very strong person, but he is intellectual, so his actions are well thought through. That is who he is. He won’t change his personality,” she said.

Samira went further to clarify that Ghana needs a visionary leader, not a combative one. “He is a humble person, but that does not mean he can be taken advantage of. People want to define him in a certain way, but leadership is about vision. We are practising democracy in Ghana. A president is not elected to fight — the country needs a visionary leader who will bring good policies and programmes to improve the lives of Ghanaians,” she added.

In response, Kwasi Kwarteng issued a strong statement on his official Facebook page, directly countering the narrative. “The NPP needs a winnable candidate, not a humble man,” he wrote.

He argued that while humility is a good trait, it should not be the main basis for choosing a presidential candidate. For him, the key issue is winning the 2028 general elections, and he believes Kennedy Agyapong is the only candidate capable of delivering that victory.

“The NPP must choose someone who can lead us to victory, not someone who is humble but cannot win. Kennedy Agyapong is the only one who can secure victory for the party in 2028, not Dr Bawumia,” Kwarteng stated.

This back-and-forth reflects growing tension within the NPP as the party begins early positioning ahead of the 2028 elections, with supporters of different camps already making strong cases for their preferred candidates.