Outspoken former Member of Parliament and former NPP presidential aspirant, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, has stated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) does not reward poor performance with second chances, especially when it comes to choosing a flagbearer for national elections.

He made this assertion while addressing some party faithful at Mampong in the Ashanti Region during his visit to the area to mourn the late Mamponghene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu.

The gathering, which drew a number of influential grassroots members and sympathizers, provided a platform for Agyapong to share his reflections on the party’s direction and its history with presidential candidates.

According to the former Assin Central MP, the NPP has a consistent tradition of backing candidates with strong electoral performance, and not those who show weak results. Citing the party’s own historical records, he pointed out that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the party’s 2024 flagbearer, led the NPP into a general election where the party’s performance was, in his words, “abysmal” and should therefore not expect to be re-endorsed for another contest.

Hon. Kennedy Agyapong dismissed suggestions that the NPP has always given its presidential candidates more than one chance. He referenced the example of the late Prof. Albert Adu Boahen, who, despite his stature and sacrifice for the party, was not given another chance after leading the NPP in the 1992 elections. “Prof. Adu Boahen was a pioneer in resisting military dictatorship and played a significant role in the re-emergence of multiparty democracy. Yet, after his defeat in 1992, he was replaced. That tells you that our party is serious about performance,” Agyapong explained.

He contrasted this with the cases of President John Agyekum Kufuor and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, both of whom were given second chances ,not out of sentiment, but because of the strength of their showings in previous elections.
He mentioned that “Kufuor had only a few months to campaign in 1996, yet his performance was impressive enough to earn him another chance in 2000. That is the NPP’s standard performance,” he said.

The maverick politician’s remarks appear to be a veiled criticism of the current Vice President and NPP flagbearer, Dr. Bawumia, whose leadership in the 2024 general elections resulted in a narrow and controversial loss to the opposition NDC. Hon. Kennedy Agyapong’s comments are likely to fuel ongoing internal party debates about succession, accountability, and the way forward as the NPP prepares for future electoral contests.

With these comments, Kennedy Agyapong once again positions himself as a voice for reform and realism within the NPP, stressing that loyalty to the party must be grounded in results and not blind allegiance.