The race for the soul of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has begun, not with votes, but with words. As the nomination forms were filed and the speeches delivered on Tuesday, August 26, Wednesday, August 27, and Thursday, August 28, 2025 at NPP Headquarters, Asylum Down, Accra, it became clear that this contest is more than a routine flagbearer battle. Indeed, it is a struggle for the future identity of the “Elephant.” I observed, listened to, and understood the vision and messages each of the five presidential hopefuls presented.
I observed how Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia carried the cadence of ‘The Prepared Custodian of Tradition and Ideas’—a resilient, idea-driven, unifying leader who embodies the values of the NPP’s forefathers, champions the grassroots, and positions himself as the most tested and ready candidate for 2028, reinforced by his technocratic assurances and vision for the party’s future.
I observed Hon. Kennedy Agyapong deliver a raw, fiery, and unapologetically direct speech, less polished rhetoric, more a voice of the outsider. Centered on fairness, courage, and jobs for Ghana’s youth. I observed the “defiance in Ken Agyapong’s firebrand rhetoric”. I observed the grassroots fervor Dr. Bryan Acheampong invoked, the nostalgic call for renewal by Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, and the visionary reformist tone of Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum. Simply put, I observed Bawumia as “the technocrat,” Ken as “the rebel firebrand,” Bryan as “the grassroots commander,” Kwabena as “the reformist traditionalist,” Adutwum as “the visionary educator”.
I can truly say and I believe many would agree that these were not mere campaign promises but competing blueprints for 2028 and beyond. These speeches were not just ceremonial remarks, they were declarations of war, veiled appeals to history, and coded messages to party delegates who hold the keys to power. Each aspirant sought to etch his vision into the conscience of the NPP faithful, positioning himself as the antidote to Ghana’s present uncertainties and the vessel for the party’s rebirth.
All five presidential hopefuls met the challenge head-on, submitting their forms neatly within the stipulated one-month window, with the final deadline landing on Thursday, August 28, 2025. With the paperwork behind them, I can confidently say the stage is now set for the party’s primaries, slated for January 31, 2026, where the next flagbearer will be chosen to steer the NPP into the national contest.
According to the Party, vetting of the aspirants will take place from September 15 to 22, 2025, while the recommendations of the vetting committee will be submitted to the National Council (NC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) on September 29, 2025. Any aggrieved aspirants could submit a petition between September 30 to October 3, 2025, for the NEC and the NC to look into any petition on October 7, 2025.
The names of qualified aspirants will be published on October 8, 2025, with balloting for positions set for October 10, 2025. The party will publish the notice of poll on October 17, 2025, with the election fixed for January 31, 2026. And in the event of a run-off, the party has set February 14, 2026, for that person.
*Objectives of analysis*
This comparative analysis delves into the voices of ambition, dissecting not just the promises made, but the potency of each message to shape the future. At the heart of this analysis is a simple but pressing question: Who can truly lead the Elephant? Who has the rhetoric, the record, and the resonance with both grassroots and national sentiment to march the NPP into 2028 united, formidable, and victorious?
Each speech was more than a ceremonial declaration; it was a coded message to delegates, a test of loyalty to the party’s past, and a promise of leadership for the future. The piece will dig beneath the applause lines to interrogate the depth of policy focus, the emotional pull of rhetoric, and the subtle strategies aspirants used to define themselves in contrast to their rivals. It is, in essence, a search for the figure whose words did not only echo within party headquarters but also carried the weight of a national agenda.
*Framework for analysis*
This piece is structured around the twin pillars of substance and style. Substance lies in the issues the aspirants chose to emphasise, whether the economy, jobs, corruption, governance, or unity etc, and how convincingly they framed these as answers to Ghana’s current challenges. Style lies in rhetoric, tone, and the use of political symbolism, from slogans that electrify the grassroots to messages that reach beyond the party faithful. An equally critical dimension is party positioning: which aspirants clung tightly to Akufo-Addo’s legacy, and which dared to present themselves as reformers ready to chart a new path.
Their strategies also matter. Some speeches were designed narrowly to capture delegates’ loyalty, while others reached further, carefully calibrated for national appeal. Leadership images emerged in different forms—the technocrat who thrives on competence, the unifier who seeks to heal divisions, the grassroots mobilizer who rallies the base, the disciplinarian who promises, the reformer who promises new direction, and the visionary who promises progress.
In weighing these elements side by side, the analysis will measure which aspirant projected not just ambition, but the credibility and resonance of a leader ready for 2028.
*Expected outcome*
In the end, this piece will not merely catalogue who spoke well. It will reveal who [Bawumia] went beyond reciting familiar slogans and dared to present a compelling national story. It will distinguish between those who sounded like ordinary contestants in a party primary and those who looked and spoke like future presidents. Above all, it will expose the aspirants who showed the rare ability to bridge the cracks within the NPP, inspire the rank and file, and reach into the hearts of floating voters. The result will be a clear picture of which candidate, through words and strategy, appears most capable of leading the NPP into battle with the NDC in 2028—and standing tall as a leader for Ghana.
*Bawumia’s speech*
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s submission speech was more than a box-ticking exercise; it was an attempt to write himself into the story of the New Patriotic Party’s future. From the opening “Kukrudu!” to the closing “Let’s Win with Bawumia,” I listened to an address that blended mourning and memory with loyalty, innovation, and vision. If there was one thing he [Bawumia] wanted to leave with the faithful, it was this: that he is the “party’s most prepared, most tested, and most inevitable choice for 2028”.
What stands out immediately is his decision to begin with solemnity: a moment of silence for the late Ernest Yaw Kumi, former MP for Akwatia and other fallen party members. This was not accidental, it framed him as respectful, empathetic, and in touch with the human cost of political service. Before delving into politics, he positioned himself as a man of duty and compassion.
From there, he reached for history. He carefully tied his own story to the grand arc of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, calling on the names of Danquah, Paa Willie, Victor Owusu, Adu Boahen, Kufuor, and Akufo-Addo. But it wasn’t just name-dropping. Each figure was paired with a value—intellect, humility, courage, resilience and in doing so, Bawumia cast himself as heir to those virtues. He wasn’t simply asking for trust as an individual; he was claiming the weight of the party’s DNA. He was presenting himself as the custodian of tradition, ready to carry forward a heritage that stretches back decades.
Then came the technocrat. This is where Bawumia is most comfortable, and it showed. He reeled off policies like a man revisiting his résumé: GhanaCard, mobile money interoperability, paperless ports, Agenda 111, drone delivery of medicine, and countless digitalisation projects. Over and over, he highlighted how Ghana had been “first in Africa” under his watch. The point wasn’t subtle: he is not the noisy populist, not the man throwing around money, but the man of ideas, systems, and results. “I demonstrate my strength by getting results, not by making noise or insults or bragging about money,” he told all gathered in what sounded both like self-definition and a jab at rivals. Lol, that is just on a lighter note!
The most emotional moment came when he reminded the party of his sacrifices. He spoke of leaving secure jobs abroad, enduring ridicule, standing as the star witness in the 2013 election petition, and even conceding defeat in 2024 to protect national peace. In these moments, he painted himself not just as a candidate but as a loyal soldier who had given his all for the NPP. His unspoken argument was simple: after so much sacrifice, he has earned the right to lead.
But Bawumia wasn’t there to dwell on the past. He pushed a message of unity, cautioning against tribal digs, factional attacks, and needless infighting. “Our true Opponent is not within. Our true Opponent is out there!!!” he thundered. It was both a rallying cry and a defensive shield. By calling himself the unity candidate, he implied that those who attack him are dividing the party for selfish gain. I didn’t stop listening.
On policy, he rolled out what he termed as “Rich Ideas”. There was talk of a flat tax system, credit access, constituency-based budgeting, grassroots empowerment, local procurement, and a more digital, inclusive economy. The balance was intentional. He wanted to speak the language of modern governance while still showing he understood the frustrations of the party’s rank and file, many of whom feel sidelined in recent years.
The speech ended on an almost lyrical note. He recalled the sacrifices he had made, assured the party that he would never shrink from duty, and then rallied them with the words: “Let’s Win Together.” It was more than an election slogan. It was a call for survival, unity, and destiny.
*The verdict*
Bawumia’s speech was not the fireworks of Ken Agyapong, the raw energy of Bryan Acheampong, the nostalgic call for renewal of Ing. Kwabena Agyepong, or the visionary reformist tone of Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum. It was calm, deliberate, and calculated. He projected three clear images: the custodian of tradition, the technocrat of results, and the unifier above faction. It was continuity laced with reform, humility paired with competence, unity strengthened by resolve.
Without a doubt, it succeeded as a positioning speech; it was a masterclass in political showmanship. Bawumia looked less like an aspirant fighting for recognition and more like a candidate already rehearsing for 2028.
In politics, speeches often fade once the applause dies. But in this contest, Bawumia’s words did more—they redefined him from an aspirant into the NPP’s most “credible and winnable” torchbearer for 2028.
The writer is a media practitioner, political commentator, youth activist, and the news editor of the Daily Statesman.
