‘Delegates shouldn’t mortgage their future’ – Kwabena Agyapong ‘joins’ NPP flagbearer race

Kwabena Agyapong, a former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP, has unofficially declared his intention to contest for the flagbearership of the party ahead of the 2024 polls.

Agyapong said he had learnt lessons from the last time he contested in 2007 when the NPP gathered at Legon to elect a successor to John Agyekum Kufuor.

“I came in about 14th or 15th in that race,” he said on Accra-based Hello FM on July 5, 2022. “It doesn’t discourage me at all, I believe the strategy was wrong (back then), I am wiser now and that is why I was able to defeat Sir John in Tamale (to become General Secretary).

“I am going to use an even more superior strategy when nominations are opened,” he stressed and explained further that he will formally announce his bid when the party opens nominations.

“I want to play by the rules. The party has rules and regulations and I am someone who is eternally respectful of the rules and regulations of the party. I don’t support the idea of just anyone going round talking much, most importantly, we have national elections that will lead to a new national leadership,” he added.

The former presidential spokesman under John Agyekum Kufuor said he was waiting for the national executive committee to lay out its programme for flagbearership contest and open nomination, “the we will see who is the man in this town.”

Responding to a question of whether he had money to finance the campaign, he submitted: “It is not about money, the delegates should not mortgage their future. The kinds of things I hear…it is not palatable, it disgraces us, it is not a core value of the party.”

Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong is the other person who has declared his bid to lead the party. Others like Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade and Agric Ministers, Alan Kyerematen and Afriyie Akoto, respectively are rumoured to be interested in the position.