‘Total nonsense!’ – NPP Can’t Elect Flagbearer before the Executives – Agyarko tells NPP NEC

Accra, Ghana – June 18, 2025 — Flagbearer hopeful for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, has fiercely criticised the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) for adopting a “top-down” approach in its flagbearer election process. Speaking to Sompa FM on Wednesday, Agyarko described the change as “total nonsense,” questioning its strategic rationale and warning of a negative impact on grassroots mobilization.

Traditionally, the NPP elected its national and regional executives before selecting its presidential flagbearer. However, the NEC’s recent decision to elect the flagbearer first has stirred controversy. Agyarko argues this reversal undermines party structure and empowers selfish interests.

“What caused them to change the bottom-up approach to top-down? It’s like starting a house from the roof before building the foundation,” Agyarko stated emphatically.

Grassroots Campaign Strategy at Risk

Agyarko, a former Minister of Energy under President Akufo-Addo, emphasised the importance of a bottom-up model for effective grassroots campaigning:

• Reach 89,000+ communities: With 210,000 polling-station-based executives, each community can receive focused campaign efforts.

• Time efficiency: According to Agyarko, 210,000 executives could visit all 88,917 human settlements within a week, far quicker than a single flagbearer.

“You don’t select a flagbearer first when you understand campaigns. One person cannot win an election alone,” he reasoned.

Building Party Strength Before the Flagbearer

Agyarko argues that a robust executive base helps sell the party’s message before introducing the flagbearer. He warned that bypassing this structure jeopardizes campaign effectiveness and hampers political mobilisation across Ghana’s regions.

“First and foremost, we sell the party to the people before the flagbearer even comes in… That is why we begin from the polling stations,” Agyarko said.

NPP Flagbearer Election Set for 2026

The NPP has scheduled its next flagbearer election for January 2026. Agyarko’s criticisms add to the growing debate within the party about restructuring the internal selection process.