Internal tensions appear to be simmering within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as veteran leaders John Agyekum Kufuor and President Nana Akufo-Addo reportedly clash with the party’s 2024 flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over the timing of upcoming internal elections.
Confidential sources have indicated growing concern over the current electoral calendar, originally announced by General Secretary Justin Kodua. Both former presidents are said to advocate for a deliberate strengthening of party structures before proceeding with the selection of a new flagbearer. They are also understood to support expanding the party’s electoral college for both presidential and parliamentary primaries.
In strongly worded letters cited by this newspaper, Kufuor and Akufo-Addo have formally appealed to the party’s leadership and National Council to reconsider the announced timetable. Their intervention has prompted a series of high-level engagements and is expected to culminate in an emergency National Council meeting to re-evaluate the scheduling.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bawumia is reportedly holding firm to the existing timeline and is alleged to be consolidating support among selected National Council members—such as Chairman Wontumi (Ashanti Region), Woanya (Volta Region), and Abronye (Ahafo Region)—alongside allies within the Parliamentary Caucus.
According to insiders, the emerging strategy aims to sideline the former presidents during the anticipated emergency council session, seeking instead an early flagbearer election in January rather than the proposed June—an adjustment that has found favor among many within the party grassroots.
Critics view the move as a break from the NPP’s conservative tradition of deferring to elder statesmen and engaging in broad consensus-building. At a time when unity is paramount, sidelining figures like Kufuor and Akufo-Addo may have far-reaching implications for party cohesion heading into the next electoral season.
