A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Barima Sarpong Kumankuma, has publicly called on party delegates to rally behind Dr. Bryan Acheampong as the party’s flagbearer for the 2028 general elections, arguing that he offers the best chance to unite the party and reclaim political power.

In a statement issued on January 26, 2026, under the theme “Why Not Bryan?”, Mr. Kumankuma said the NPP stands at a critical crossroads as it prepares to elect a new presidential candidate on January 31.

He stressed that the decision before delegates must restore hope within the party and rebuild trust with the Ghanaian electorate following the party’s poor showing in the 2024 general elections.

He recalled the NPP’s long history in Ghana’s democratic journey, noting that since the Fourth Republic, the party has successfully elected four presidential candidates through competitive primaries—Prof. Albert Adu Boahen, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

According to him, the five presidential aspirants contesting the upcoming primary—Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong—are all qualified and capable of governing Ghana.

However, he argued that winning political power should be the party’s foremost consideration.

“While all five can serve Ghana as president, history shows that circumstances often favour one candidate as the best option to win an election,” he stated.

Mr. Kumankuma identified party unity as the most critical factor ahead of the 2028 elections, citing the NPP’s victory in 2000 under John Agyekum Kufuor and the party’s defeat in 2008, which he attributed partly to internal disunity.

He also linked the party’s victory in 2016 to renewed unity and described the 2024 electoral defeat as the NPP’s worst in recent history.

He warned that ongoing rivalry and bitterness between the camps of Kennedy Agyapong and Dr. Bawumia pose the greatest threat to the party’s future success, stressing that the NPP’s biggest challenge going into 2028 is internal division rather than opposition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“The antagonism and verbal abuse between these camps have weakened party structures and damaged grassroots morale,” he said.

Mr. Kumankuma argued that Dr. Bryan Acheampong stands out as a unifying figure capable of bridging factional divides within the party.

He said Acheampong has, within a short period, re-energised the party base and attracted confidence from the business community, academia, the middle class, and floating voters.

He further described Dr. Acheampong as a symbol of hope for the elderly and a leader who resonates with the aspirations of young voters.

Calling on delegates to remain faithful to the NPP’s constitutional objective of winning political power to develop Ghana in freedom, Mr. Kumankuma urged them to vote with the broader interest of the party and the nation in mind.

“As delegates step into the booth on January 31, they must remember they are standing in for the ordinary people in their constituencies,” he said, reiterating his central appeal: “Why not Bryan?”