Former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Alex Ampaabeng, has thrown his weight behind Kennedy Agyapong in the upcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race, describing him as the kind of bold, business-minded leader Ghana urgently needs.

In an interview with TV3, Dr Ampaabeng said his endorsement of the former Assin Central MP is not about personal loyalty or betrayal, but a response to the clear calls from the grassroots for decisive leadership.

“To me, whatever decision I am making is nothing based on betrayal,” he clarified. “It is based on the information I have received on the grounds… the people who sent me to have the opportunity believe that, ‘bring this person, and we will give you the power.’”

Dr Ampaabeng likened Kennedy Agyapong to prominent global political figures such as America’s Donald Trump, Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi, and Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra, all businessmen who transitioned into politics and, according to him, delivered impactful leadership.

“We have Donald Trump. We have Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand. Kennedy is the Berlusconi, the Donald Trump, Thaksin that we have in Ghana,” he said. “I do believe that he has the answer to Ghana's unemployment problem.”

He further argued that the country's growing youth unemployment crisis calls for someone with practical business acumen, someone who can create jobs and reset the economic agenda.

“And I think that the time is right. Kennedy is the right candidate. Youth unemployment is a big problem, and so far, people in business have demonstrated that they can do well,” he added.

Dr Ampaabeng reaffirmed his loyalty to the NPP and insisted his support for Agyapong is grounded in conviction, not factionalism.

“It has nothing to do with the betrayal of Dr Bawumia,” he stressed.

With the NPP’s presidential primaries set for January 31, 2026, Dr Ampaabeng becomes one of the highest-profile former government officials to publicly back Kennedy Agyapong’s bid for the party’s flagbearership.