Former Lands Minister John Peter Amewu says the New Patriotic Party (NPP)'s path back to power in 2028 will require an unconventional choice, insisting the election will not be a routine contest.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, Mr Amewu argued that the NPP needs a candidate who responds to a broader national call, rather than to internal party calculations.

“We need a medium through which our party will be united,” he said. “The election that is coming up in 2028 is not a normal election. And so you don’t expect to do things in a normal way.”

His comments come as the NPP prepares for a tightly contested internal race following its loss of power in the 2024 general election.

Five high-profile figures have declared their intentions, triggering intense debate within the party over electability, unity and public appeal.

The former Energy Minister said his support for Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is informed by long-standing personal and professional interactions with all the leading contenders.

“I have an opportunity to interact with all the other five candidates,” he said, recalling his time as Hohoe Mayor in 2005 and 2006 and later as a cabinet minister. “So I am in a position to tell you that I have dealt with all these people.”

He described Kwabena Agyapong as an “excellent man of all qualities” and spoke of good working relationships with Dr Yaw Adutwum, Bryan Acheampong and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, noting that he served under Dr Bawumia’s economic management team.

“All those five candidates are exceptionally good candidates,” he said, adding that each has “core capabilities and competence.”

However, he stressed that the 2028 contest demands more than competence.

“I have listened to the ground. I have listened to the taxi drivers. I have listened to the market women,” he said. “I’ve gone to the hospital. I listened to the nurses, the doctors and the general population.”

According to him, what he hears on the ground points clearly in one direction.

“And so this election, it’s not because Kennedy is an individual,” he said. “Kennedy is just a medium. The whole nation wants Kennedy.”

When host Evans Mensah questioned that claim, the former Railway Minister doubled down.

“Yeah, when I say the people I have listened to,” he said, arguing that voter sentiment, rather than elite opinion, should guide the party’s decision.

He explained that elections are often decided by what he called “swing factors,” which he said account for between 65 and 70 per cent of outcomes.

“These factors are basically internal or external,” he said. “The external environment, you can look at the economic indicators or the economic performances.”

He said the internal factors relate directly to the candidate.

“The empathy of the individual, his leadership skills, his level of collaborations, his attentiveness, his vision,” he said. “These are internal environment issues within the candidate.”

After weighing these factors across all the contenders, Mr Amewu said one candidate stood out.

“When I have examined all these other five candidates, the best among them, the one that is most competitive in terms of this internal environment issue, is Kennedy Ohene Agyapong,” he said.

He acknowledged that many people may not fully understand Mr Agyapong’s appeal.

“Most people may not have a direct relationship or have dealt with Kennedy directly,” he said. “I have had this opportunity with my experience as a minister and MP.”

That experience, he said, shaped his conclusion.

“And so for me, this places Kennedy above the others,” he said.

“The other candidates are equally good. But when it comes to the 2028 election, they may not be on the same level of platform with Kennedy in terms of the weight that people may have behind him.”

For Mr Amewu, the choice is ultimately about winning back power in an unusual political moment.

“And so I think that Kennedy has this competitive advantage,” he said, adding that this “basically explained the rationale” behind his support.