Former Dome–Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, says she fears for her safety and future if Kennedy Agyapong becomes President of Ghana.
She claimed that the last NPP government was run in a way that favoured family members and close friends, a situation she believes largely led to the party’s poor showing in the 2024 general elections.
Adwoa Safo made the comments while campaigning for Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is contesting to become the NPP’s flagbearer. She argued that choosing Kennedy Agyapong as the party’s leader would be a wrong decision for the NPP.
She referenced her personal relationship with the former Assin Central MP, saying:
“I have two children with Kennedy Agyapong, but I can assure you that if he becomes president and I send my Curriculum Vitae to his office, there is no way he will employ me because he wouldn’t be running a family and friends government.
“I am not saying he will become president, but let us assume he does. If I submit my CV to his office, considering the work I have done as a Minister and as a Deputy Majority Leader, and he looks at me and says, ‘You are the woman I have two children with, so I am appointing you as a minister,’ there will be chaos in Ghana if he goes down that path.”
Adwoa Safo added that she believes her future would be in danger if Kennedy Agyapong became president, saying the party needs to pick someone who can bring members together and win back the trust of the public.
“The Kennedy Agyapong I know would never appoint me, and that is why my political career and my future would be at stake if he becomes president,” she stated.
On the other hand, former Energy Minister and running mate of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has decided to throw his weight behind Dr Mahamudu Bawumia ahead of the party’s presidential primaries in 2026.
In an interview on Asempa FM on August 26, the former minister noted that he remains grateful to the former Vice President who decided to make him his running mate despite the many individuals who advised him to do otherwise.
According to Dr Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, Dr Bawumia was engaged countless times by some bigwigs in the party to pick someone else to be his running mate.
“I am not ungrateful. Look at this big party and upon all the people who were praying for the running mate slot, he ignored all of them and made me his running mate.”
“I know it was a difficult situation, but a lot of people don’t know. Some bigwigs in the party went to Dr Bawumia to tell him not to make me the running mate but he ignored them. There are some names that if I mentioned, you would be shocked. Some even took him to offices to advise him against me but still he chose me,” he remarked.
He thus said; “So, I cannot be ungrateful to him… For those who stood in the flagbearership contest, everyone knows Kennedy Agyapong is my friend, but I am still for Bawumia.”
On Tuesday, July 29, the NPP opened nominations for its 2028 flagbearer position. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the party’s 2024 flagbearer and former Vice President, Kennedy Agyapong, Kwabena Agyepong, and Dr. Osei Adutwum have all picked up nomination forms.
Former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, officially filed his nomination forms on Tuesday, August 26. Party executives are also expected to receive the nomination forms from former Assin Central MP and presidential hopeful Kennedy Ohene Agyapong today, Wednesday, August 27, 2025, ahead of the party’s 2026 presidential primaries.
In the meantime, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has received strong backing from 268 former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), who paid him a visit in June to pledge their support.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has made room for new additions to its already approximately 220,000 delegates who are eligible to vote in its presidential primaries slated for Saturday, January 31, next year.
In a statement dated August 26, signed and shared by the Secretary of the Presidential Elections Committee, Williams Yamoah, the party announced that registration has been opened for an additional 60,000 new delegates, which include nineteen new categories of people. This directive follows reforms adopted at the party’s National Annual Delegates Conference held in Accra on Saturday, July 19.
The statement explained: “In accordance with Article 13(1)(11) of the Constitution of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and pursuant to the motion on transitional provisions adopted at the National Annual Delegates Conference held in Accra on Saturday, July 19, 2025, the following new categories of Party officials and dignitaries have been included in the upcoming Presidential Primary voter register.”
The updated voter register, also known as the party album, will now include several new categories of officials and dignitaries. These are: all former regional and constituency executives, members of the National Council of Elders, 30 members of the National Council of Patrons, all past national officers, former party-card-bearing MPs and parliamentary candidates, as well as former party-card-bearing ministers and deputy ministers.
Other groups added to the list are external branch executives, former external branch executives, and key members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), including presidents of recognised institutions, the National TESCON Coordinator, regional coordinators, and one TESCON patron from each institution.
Additionally, 10 members from each Regional Council of Elders, 10 patrons from each region, and five members and patrons from each constituency have also been included.
The statement directed that “all officers that fall under the categories above are requested to register their names with their respective organisational structures, including the National Secretariat, Regions, Constituencies and External Branches, as applicable, with immediate effect.”
To make the registration process easier, the statement clarified that a digital link would be circulated to External Branch Executives for online registration. All other qualified members were advised to liaise with their respective regions and constituencies to register.
However, the forms are to be accessed via the party’s official website. “The registration form may be downloaded from the Party’s official website. For ease of reference, a sample copy is hereby attached,” excerpts of the statement read. The statement further warned that the registration was strictly for the aforementioned categories of people, with a deadline set for Friday, September 19.
“The deadline for registration is Friday, September 19, 2025. Please be advised that this registration exercise is exclusively open to officers and members who meet the aforementioned criteria. The Presidential Elections Committee shall undertake a comprehensive verification and validation of the Party’s album to ensure that only an authentic and credible register is used for the conduct of the presidential election,” the party cautioned, while expressing confidence in members’ cooperation.
“We count on your usual cooperation and adherence to this directive in furtherance of the Party’s commitment to fairness, inclusiveness, and transparency.”
The NPP is on a journey of reset, reinforcement, and healing following its historic defeat in the 2024 elections. Dr. Bawumia lost the 2024 presidential election, with John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) securing 6,328,397 valid votes, representing 56.55%, against Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 4,657,304 votes, representing 41.61%.
Since the beginning of this year, the party has undertaken several reforms to position itself strongly against its main opponent, the NDC, and to recapture power.
Among these reforms is the abolition of the electoral college in favour of a broader base of delegates. The party has also added 19 new delegate categories and granted amnesty to suspended members.
The NPP has announced that suspended members have been reinstated, and all charges against those facing the disciplinary committee have been dropped.
This decision was taken by the National Council during an emergency meeting held on July 25. In a statement dated August 16 and signed by the Acting National Chairman of the Party, Mr. Danquah Smith Buttey, members were informed that as part of measures to ensure unity and cooperation, all banned members had been given the right to return.
“This measure reflects the Party’s unwavering commitment to fostering internal cohesion, strengthening solidarity, and preparing collectively for the political tasks ahead.
“I write to inform you that the National Council, at its Emergency Meeting held on Friday, July 25, 2025, resolved, in the interest of unity and reconciliation, to grant a General Amnesty to all Party members who have been suspended or whose disciplinary cases are currently pending before the appropriate disciplinary bodies,” parts of the statement read.
The party further urged all relevant bodies, including Regional and Constituency Executive Committees, to reinstate suspended members in accordance with laid-down rules and guiding principles.
“We hereby serve notice that this directive lifts all such suspensions and nullifies any ongoing proceedings against affected members,” the statement added.
However, the party clarified that this recall does not apply to members who willfully forfeited their membership. In cases where such individuals wish to return, they are required to submit a formal reinstatement request to the party’s secretariat. Upon acceptance, a two-year ban will be imposed, preventing them from contesting in any internal elections.
