Member of Parliament for Afadjato South, Frank Afriyie, has challenged the political viability of New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopefuls outside the support of party structures, arguing that none of the aspirants, regardless of their popularity, can secure more than 5% of national votes running independently.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, June 24, the MP criticised the notion that any single figure within the NPP could claim overwhelming electoral strength without the party’s machinery backing them.
“It is not for nothing that candidates who stand in the name of the NDC or NPP always perform very well in general elections. It is because of the machinery that they represent and the party structures,” he stressed.
Afriyie’s remarks come amid a growing wave of endorsements within the NPP, particularly the recent declaration of support by a coalition of 220 former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in favour of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s flagbearer for the 2028 gen
But Afriyie pushed back, arguing that such endorsements inflate personal egos while ignoring the critical need to rebuild trust and support at the party’s base.
“If Dr. Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong or any of the aspirants believe they are that formidable, they should try going as independent candidates; they won’t cross 5%,” he challenged.
“Any right-thinking party officer should be more interested in fixing the party from the base, not engaging in premature public endorsements,” he added.
On Monday, June 23, a coalition of 220 former MMDCEs, who served between 2017 and 2024 under the NPP administration, held a press conference at the Alisa Hotel to publicly declare their support for former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to lead the party into the 2028 general elections.
The group claimed that after extensive consultation and analysis, Bawumia emerged as the most capable and visionary candidate. They pledged to offer their full support, political, financial, and strategic, to ensure his victory in the upcoming internal primaries scheduled for January 31, 2026.