‘My party celebrated me until I contested’ NPP flagbearer race – Kennedy Agyapong

Former presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has broken his silence on what he describes as internal betrayal during the party’s 2023 presidential primaries.

Speaking in a recent interview, the outspoken Assin Central MP revealed that he was deliberately sidelined and vilified by some elements within the party after he announced his intention to contest for the flagbearer slot. According to him, individuals who once celebrated his boldness and candid critiques quickly turned around to weaponise those same statements against him.

“When I was criticizing the NDC, my party was happy,” Agyapong said. “But when I decided to contest, they used those same things against me as sins I had committed.”

He disclosed that a group of insiders within the party compiled what they termed his “10 sins”—a dossier of past public statements, confrontations, and criticisms, some of which dated back years. These were subsequently used to discredit his candidacy, questioning his loyalty and temperament for leadership.

“They said I insulted elders, embarrassed the party, and went rogue. But these were the very things that got me applause when I was defending the NPP,” he added.

Faced with mounting internal resistance, Agyapong said he chose to adopt a quieter approach toward the latter stages of the campaign. The decision, he explained, was symbolic.

“In the Bible, we have ten commandments. Since Abraham’s time, nobody has added an eleventh. So I decided to keep quiet—so they don’t add an 11th or 12th sin to my name,” he said with a touch of sarcasm.

Agyapong also reflected on how the experience forced him to reassess past political confrontations. He said the internal betrayal led him to extend a public apology to former President John Dramani Mahama, whom he had previously attacked in harsh terms.

“Today, I have a lot of respect for President Mahama and his family. I realised that we are all serving Ghana in different ways,” he said.

Though he did not emerge victorious in the NPP’s presidential race, Agyapong maintains that his decision to speak truth to power—even within his own party—was necessary for national progress.

He concluded with a subtle warning: “If a party cannot tolerate its own voices, then it risks becoming an echo chamber—and that’s dangerous for democracy.”