A coalition of frontline communicators for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a stern admonition to flagbearer hopeful Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, demanding an immediate shift toward “decorous” engagement as he tours the Ashanti Region.
At a press conference, the group, led by Emmanuel Agyemang, the NPP Communication Officer for Offinso North, warned that the former Assin Central MP’s penchant for “intemperate language” is undermining the party’s image and providing the ruling NDC with the same ammunition that cost the NPP the 2024 elections.
“As front-line communicators of the Party, we dedicate significant time and effort to defending the NPP and promoting its image. However, we consistently face difficulties responding to concerns arising from the language, tribal insinuation, and other divisive statements that have become associated with Hon. Kennedy Agyapong”
Emmanuel Agyemang, NPP Communication Officer for Offinso North
The friction highlights a deepening anxiety within the party ahead of its January 31, 2026, presidential primary. With the NPP now in the wilderness of opposition, the communicators argued that the party can no longer afford the “ethnic undertones,” that have characterized Agyapong’s firebrand campaign style.
The group insisted there must be a balance between Agyapong’s “ideas and creativity,” platform and the party’s desperate need for message discipline. Emmanuel Agyemang argued that the group’s work on various media platforms is being sabotaged by the very man who seeks to lead them.
“The recurring challenges undermine our work and weaken the Party’s public image,” he said, contending that the statements coming from the Agyapong camp are making it nearly impossible for frontline defenders to repair the party’s public image – which desperately needs a face-lift.
For the communicators, the 2024 defeat serves as a cautionary tale. They view the current rhetoric not just as a campaign tactic, but as a strategic liability that threatens the unity and discipline required to wrestle back power in 2028.
Correcting the Errors
According to the coalition, their intervention signals an earnest attempt at saving the very “soul of the party.”
They called for a pragmatic correction of past mistakes, specifically naming Agyapong’s previous negative pronouncements as a major tool used by the then-opposition NDC to sway the 2024 electorate.
The friction is particularly acute in the Ashanti Region, the NPP’s traditional heartland, where any perception of ethnic or tribal divisiveness is seen as a threat to the party’s core base.
By demanding “message coherence,” the communicators are setting a high bar for the January contest, which features other heavyweights including Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Bryan Acheampong. The warning to Agyapong serves as a broader signal: the era of “gloves-off” internal warfare must end if the party hopes to survive the 2026 primary intact.
“It is about time we reflect on some of the errors that cost the party in the 2024 elections and take steps to correct them, particularly at a time when unity, discipline, and message coherence are essential”
Emmanuel Agyemang, NPP Communication Officer for Offinso North
As the January 31 primary looms, the question remains whether Agyapong will heed the call for decorum or if his unguarded statements will continue to be the central pivot of his campaign – to the detriment of the party and it’s future ambitions.
READ ALSO: Africa’s Crude Oil Demand to Double by 2050, Requiring $100bn Refining Investment
