Ghana’s political landscape is entering a decisive transition. With the National Democratic Congress (NDC) expected to undergo leadership renewal - strong indications suggest President John Dramani Mahama will not lead the party into the 2028 elections - the political arena is opening to a new generational contest. Emerging possibilities, including Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang potentially leading the party with Haruna Iddrisu as her running mate or alternative configurations involving Julius Debrah or Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, signal a post-Mahama recalibration of the NDC’s appeal.

In parallel, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) faces a consequential choice of its own: selecting a standard-bearer whose leadership style, credibility and message can consolidate the party while effectively confronting a renewed opposition. While several capable figures populate the NPP’s leadership ecosystem, the contest increasingly crystallizes around two dominant personalities - Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ohene Agyepong. Together, they represent contrasting but credible pathways for the party, each embodying a distinct political paradigm for Ghana’s next phase.

The Broader Field: Contextual Strengths

Other prominent figures - Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Bryan Acheampong and Kwabena Agyepong - add important depth to the NPP’s internal discourse. Dr. Adutwum advances a compelling education-led development vision anchored in human capital and innovation. Bryan Acheampong projects executive pragmatism, drawing from experience in security, agriculture and strategic coordination. Kwabena Agyepong brings party institutional memory, organizational discipline and grassroots cohesion.

Collectively, these figures enrich policy debate and internal renewal. Yet in terms of national visibility, electoral reach and narrative dominance, the strategic decision confronting the NPP narrows decisively to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Agyepong.

Dr. Bawumia: Technocratic Leadership and Electoral Expansion

Former vice president Dr. Bawumia represents the technocratic-insider model of leadership. An economist by training, his political identity has been shaped by data-driven argumentation, institutional reform and an emphasis on systems over slogans. His most visible legacy remains the digitalisation agenda, which reframed governance around efficiency, transparency and inclusion.

Core Qualities of Dr. Bawumia

Dr. Bawumia’s leadership proposition is anchored on:

Strong policy depth and intellectual credibility, particularly in macroeconomic management and public-sector reform. Expansion of digital governance and financial inclusion through national identification systems, e-government platforms and fintech integration. Private-sector-led growth driven by formalisation, technology and regulatory clarity. Predictable, rules-based governance that reassures investors, professionals, and international partners.

Why Bawumia Stands Out

Beyond policy competence, Dr. Bawumia offers a unique electoral proposition. As a northern Muslim candidate, he possesses the potential to redraw Ghana’s traditional electoral map by making meaningful inroads into long-standing NDC strongholds in the north and Zongo communities. This could fundamentally shift the 2028 contest from one defined by entrenched voting blocs to a more fluid, competitive, and personality-driven election.

Against an NDC candidate with extensive parliamentary or governance pedigree, Bawumia neutralises geography and identity, redirecting the contest toward competence, ideas and future readiness. His calm, analytical demeanor positions him as a statesman-manager - an attractive option for voters fatigued by political theatrics and eager for institutional stability. His central challenge remains converting technocratic credibility into emotional resonance at the grassroots, particularly in the context of economic hardship associated with incumbency.

Kennedy Ohene Agyepong: Populist Energy and Disruptive Credibility

Kennedy Ohene Agyepong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central, represents a sharply contrasting leadership archetype: the populist-disruptor. A self-made businessman, he has cultivated a reputation for fearlessness, blunt honesty, and relentless confrontation of corruption and political hypocrisy. His appeal rests less on policy detail and more on narrative force and perceived authenticity.

Core Qualities Kennedy Ohene Agyepong

Agyepong’s political message is defined by:

An aggressive anti-corruption posture framed as a moral crusade against elite impunity. Pro-business, anti-bureaucracy reforms with a strong emphasis on indigenous entrepreneurship. Direct, emotive communication that resonates with disenchanted and economically pressured voters.

Assertive executive leadership promising results over process

Why Agyepong Stands Out:

Agyepong’s greatest strength lies in mobilisation. He connects powerfully with grassroots supporters who feel alienated from establishment politics and frustrated by slow institutional reform. In an era of economic anxiety and declining trust in public institutions, his rhetoric of disruption and accountability finds fertile ground. Strategically, Agyepong could blunt the NDC’s traditional anti-government narrative by occupying the anti-establishment space from within the ruling party itself. Against an NDC candidate perceived as part of the long-standing political elite, he can credibly present himself as the insurgent voice - promising to confront and cleanse the system rather than manage it. The central concern, however, is whether his combative style can be effectively translated into cohesive, consensus-driven national governance.

Two Paths to Power: Who Best Confronts a Renewed NDC?

The strategic dilemma facing the NPP is not merely about personality, but about the nature of the 2028 election itself. A Bawumia-led NPP would frame the contest as one of ideas, competence, and preparedness. It would compel the NDC to move beyond critique and articulate a detailed, credible alternative economic and governance blueprint. The campaign would center on modernization, institutional reform, and Ghana’s positioning within a rapidly evolving global economy. An Agyepong-led NPP, by contrast, would transform the election into a high-energy, narrative-driven confrontation. It would likely polarize the electorate, intensify turnout, and test the NDC’s capacity to match populist momentum. Trust, accountability, and political authenticity would dominate the discourse.

Conclusion: A Defining Choice for the Next Political Era

The NPP’s leadership decision ahead of 2028 is ultimately a choice between two credible but contrasting political paradigms. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia offers expansion through technocratic competence, demographic reach, and institutional reform. Kennedy Ohene Agyepong offers mobilisation through populist conviction, emotional connection, and disruptive energy. Either man could emerge as a formidable opponent to a reconfigured NDC. The decisive factor will be who most convincingly blends credibility with charisma, discipline with passion, and vision with trust. In making this choice, the NPP will not only select a flagbearer - it will define the character of Ghana’s next political epoch. The decision ultimately rests in the hands of the delegates.