Balance of Power: Akufo-Addo’s Legacy and NPP’s Leadership Race

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As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) gears up for its 2026 flagbearer primaries and the 2028 presidential election, the party stands at a crossroads — weighing the legacy of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo against calls for renewal from key contenders such as Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.

👥 The Players & the Stakes

On October 21, 2025, Nana Addo hosted a “unity breakfast” with all five presidential aspirants, urging them to run “issue-based campaigns” and preserve party unity.  The aspirants include Bawumia, Agyapong, and three others — each bringing different strengths, backgrounds, and visions for NPP’s future.  For many supporters, Bawumia represents continuity — a candidate with experience, previous national office, and a record of pushing digitalization and economic initiatives under the Akufo-Addo administration.  Agyapong, in contrast, brands himself as a change agent, arguing the party needs new energy to reclaim power — a message that resonates with delegates uneasy with the status quo. 

📊 What Polls & Support Patterns Reveal

A 2025 survey of NPP supporters showed 48.1% backing Bawumia for 2028, with 25.1% favouring Agyapong.  Yet a more recent internal delegates’ poll suggests a shift: 52.3% support Agyapong, with 40.9% for Bawumia — signalling growing grassroots appetite for change over continuity.  This division reflects deeper debates in the party: whether success lies in building on past achievements, or boldly reimagining the party’s identity and strategy.

🧭 What Akufo-Addo’s Role Means for NPP

Akufo-Addo remains an influential figure in NPP — not as candidate, but as a unifying elder whose endorsement of a “credible, peaceful, and issue-based primary” could shape how the race unfolds. 

His influence may serve as a stabilizing factor: encouraging aspirants and their camps to keep competition respectful, avoid public infighting, and commit to rallying behind whoever wins the primaries — a key move if NPP wants to rebuild trust among voters ahead of 2028.  


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