With the New Patriotic Party (NPP) heading into its presidential primaries on Saturday, January 31, 2026, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Still bruised by its defeat in the 2024 general elections, the party is seeking not only a flagbearer for the 2028 race but also a pathway to recovery, unity and renewed relevance.
Five high-profile figures are contesting the primaries: former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former NPP General Secretary Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong; former Agric Minister Dr Bryan Acheampong; and former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.
For the Member of Parliament for Damongo and former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the decision before delegates is a strategic one that could shape the party’s future.
In an interview with MyJoyOnline.com, Mr. Abu Jinapor made a strong case for Dr Bawumia, arguing that the former Vice President deserves another opportunity to lead the NPP and remains the party’s best bet for revival ahead of 2028.
“The NPP is at a very crucial stage in its life,” he said, describing the period after the 2024 elections as one that demands careful and strategic leadership choices.
He noted that the party’s decision to organise an early delegates’ conference—an unprecedented step in its history—underscored the urgency of the moment.
“This election on January 31 is not a routine internal contest,” he stressed. “It is a strategic decision that will either give impetus to the revival of the NPP or set it back.”
According to Abu Jinapor, Dr Bawumia brings a unique combination of visibility, experience and political capital that none of the other contenders can easily match.
“He’s marketable. He’s been marketed already,” he said, pointing out that Dr Bawumia has been at the centre of Ghanaian politics for close to two decades and has previously carried the party’s banner in a national election.
Beyond familiarity, the Damongo MP described Dr Bawumia as a formidable campaigner capable of clearly articulating the NPP’s policy vision, particularly on issues that resonate strongly with voters.
“He has ideas and solutions, especially when it comes to unemployment and the cost of living crisis,” he said.
Mr. Abu Jinapor also highlighted integrity as a defining attribute of the former Vice President, arguing that credibility in public life would be critical in restoring voter confidence after the party’s loss.
“I think his personal integrity is very commendable,” he noted.
Perhaps most crucially, he presented Dr Bawumia as a unifying figure in a party where internal competition and post-election frustrations have exposed fault lines.
“I believe Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is a unifier,” he said. “He can unite the party and also reach out across different constituencies in the country to build a broad-based coalition for victory.”
Asked how he would describe Dr Bawumia to the wider Ghanaian public beyond party circles, Mr. Abu Jinapor offered a character portrait shaped by close working experience.
“He’s a quiet but very determined man, with clarity of thought and vision,” he said. “Above all, he’s trustworthy—someone you can depend on.”
While acknowledging that elections are never predictable until the final ballot is counted, Mr. Abu Jinapor expressed confidence that momentum within the party favours Dr Bawumia.
“From all the indications, it is clear that the party is rallying around him and around his vision,” he said, adding that many within the NPP see him as the strongest image going into the primaries.
“I am very confident that on Saturday, the NPP will elect him as its presidential candidate,” he said, expressing optimism that Dr Bawumia would then lead the party back to power in the 2028 general elections.
As delegates prepare to cast their votes, the NPP’s primaries have evolved into a broader referendum on the party’s direction: whether to double down on a familiar figure viewed by supporters as tested and unifying, or to pivot towards new leadership after electoral defeat. The outcome on Saturday is expected to shape not just the party’s flagbearer, but its prospects for a political comeback.
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