Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has warned that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) risks political disaster if it re-elects its former presidential flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Speaking candidly on the state of the party, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng argued that a return to the old leadership would amount to “a train wreck,” insisting that the NPP has failed to confront the internal problems that contributed to its electoral defeat.
“I think it will be a train wreck if they re-elect the old flagbearer,” he said. “We lost the elections badly, and we did not deal with the issues that led to those losses, yet we still want to go in the same direction.”
According to the former minister, the party has drifted away from its founding principles and no longer resembles the NPP he once knew.
“What I see now is not the NPP I used to know. The present NPP is not NPP; it is fake,” he stated.
“The real NPP is there, but it is virtual. Its members are in the background, sidelined.”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng also criticised the party’s internal electoral processes, particularly the manner in which the last flagbearer was elected. He alleged that intimidation and manipulation of delegates characterised the process, describing it as a dangerous foundation for corruption.
“Look at how they elected their last flagbearer. Arms were twisted, delegates were grabbed, and others were intimidated to get a preferred candidate. This is the beginning of corruption, and it should not be allowed in any serious party.”
He stressed that the NPP’s failure to address these internal governance concerns after its defeat has weakened its credibility and electoral prospects.
On the 2028 race, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng asserted that any other candidate apart from Dr. Bawumia would stand a better chance of winning the presidency on the NPP ticket, largely due to the former vice president’s association with the previous administration.
“Any other person than Dr. Bawumia would have a better chance,” he said. “His association with the previous government works against him.”
He further questioned why several party figures who once rallied behind Dr. Bawumia are now contesting him.
“In the first round, they all supported him as flagbearer, and now they are competing against him. Why have they left him? If he was that strong, why are they contesting him now?”
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng concluded by outlining the qualities he believes the NPP and Ghana need in a future president.
“I expect a president with a clear vision who leads by example — not corrupt, not greedy for money, wealth, or property,” he said.“No favouritism for family, friends, or concubines. No square pegs in round holes.
The person must have strong moral values, passion for Ghana’s development, resilience, adaptability, and the courage to do what is right.”
By Sampson Kumah Ifetwube Elvis
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