Legal practitioner Martin Luther Kpebu has stated that the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision to hold its presidential primary before electing party executives is aimed at skewing the process in favour of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to Kpebu, the party leadership wants to retain the former Vice President as the NPP’s flag bearer, which is why it has decided to forego the election of grassroots to national executives ahead of the presidential primary.
“Is it a way of making sure the status quo will remain?” he asked, whilst speaking on the KeyPoints show on TV3 Saturday, June 21, 2025.
According to him, “when you put everything together, what people are seeing is that this is an attempt to maintain Bawumia as the flag bearer.”
The renowned lawyer and social commentator believes the decision will hand the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) victory on a silver platter if Bawumia is retained.
Without mincing words, Lawyer Kpebu stated that Bawumia won’t be a winning candidate for the party in the next election. “Something that will hand the NDC an easier victory,” he stated.
“The moment you put Bawumia on this card again, it will make the 2028 elections a walk in the park for the NDC. It’s very clear. Bawumia can’t sell in an election,” he added.
When asked what his reasons are, he said Bawumia “blew the opportunity when he came into government and couldn’t deliver and would not apologise and he kept looking for all manner of excuses to rationalise what he has said in opposition.”
His comments come after the NPP officially announced that its presidential primary to elect a flag bearer for the 2028 general elections will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
The announcement was made by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, following a critical meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The decision was subsequently endorsed by the party’s National Council.
“The Committee also spoke about the time for our presidential primaries. And again, the Committee agrees that that decision does not warrant amendment of our Constitution. And the National Council today also made the decision that the date for our presidential primaries is set for January 31, 2026. That will be the date that we shall hold our presidential primaries,” Kodua stated.
He emphasised that the date for the primary falls under the mandate of the National Council and will therefore not require further approval from the national delegates’ conference.
The party is expected to issue detailed guidelines for its nomination procedures, campaign activities and a code of conduct for all aspirants in the coming weeks.
Party officials have assured members that the process will be transparent, democratic, and aligned with the values of the NPP.
Meanwhile, a nine-member committee led by former Bekwai Member of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, has been constituted to oversee the planning of the party’s national delegates conference scheduled for July 2025.
This conference is expected to consider and adopt several proposals for constitutional amendments within the party. “Because there is going to be a proposal or motion for amendment of our constitution, a planning committee has been put in place,” Kodua stated.
