Samuel Atta Akyea, the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South, has issued a stern warning to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of its upcoming presidential primaries, describing the search for a new flagbearer as a dangerous political gamble.
Speaking on the heels of internal post-election assessments, Mr. Atta Akyea argued that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia remains the party’s most viable asset and that abandoning him now would be akin to entering a “lottery,” that the NPP cannot afford to win.
“I am trying to show the arithmetic that when the situation was terribly bad, the persona of the man attracted him the 41 percent that he got in the 2024 election. Common sense will suggest that we show him again. We have to lift him up again and then add about nine percent to cross the 50 plus one mark. That is how we get him as president”
Samuel Atta Akyea, Former MP for Abuakwa South
According to Mr. Atta Akyea, the party’s data shows that the persona of the former Vice President was a strength, not a liability, in the previous general election. He maintained that the loss was a result of national voter fatigue after eight years in power rather than a rejection of Dr. Bawumia himself.
For Atta Akyea, the strategy for 2028 should be a simple arithmetic of addition: retaining the votes Bawumia secured under “terribly bad,” conditions and focusing on the remaining votes needed to cross the threshold.
Danger of Starting Afresh
Adding up to Samuel Atta Akyea’s analysis, the former lawmaker noted that historical trends are rarely kind to first-time presidential candidates.
He warned that introducing a fresh face at this stage would leave the NPP vulnerable to the opposition’s propaganda machinery, whereas Dr. Bawumia already possesses national recognition and an established “doctoral appeal.”
Mr. Atta Akyea argued that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) would struggle to market a new candidate against a seasoned politician like Bawumia, whose figures and credibility are already well-known across the country.
He believes that the risks associated with “starting afresh,” are unnecessary when the party already has a marketed brand that has proven its ability to attract a significant portion of the electorate despite a difficult political climate.
“I am telling you there is nobody they (NDC) will bring who will have the national appeal more than Bawumia. If we decide to start afresh with new people, the NDC will use propaganda against them”
Samuel Atta Akyea, Former MP for Abuakwa South
The warning from Mr. Atta Akyea comes at a critical time as the NPP prepares for its presidential primaries on January 31, 2026. While the former Abuakwa South MP is pushing for continuity, he faces a crowded field of contenders who believe they offer the fresh start the party needs to overcome voter fatigue.
The race currently includes prominent figures such as Kennedy Agyapong, the former MP for Assin Central; Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the former Minister for Education; Dr. Bryan Acheampong, the former Minister for Food and Agriculture; and Kwabena Agyepong, the party’s former General Secretary.
Each of these aspirants is vying for the chance to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections, setting the stage for what Mr. Atta Akyea describes as a defining choice for the party’s future.
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