Politician and businessman Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has conceded defeat in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primary, urging his supporters to remain calm, united and committed to the party’s future following provisional results that showed a decisive lead for former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Addressing members of his campaign team, particularly the “Team Ken” faithful, shortly after results began emerging on Saturday, Mr Agyapong thanked his supporters for their dedication and cautioned them against allowing disappointment to breed bitterness or division within the party.
“I know most of you are dejected. You have to keep your spirit up, because once we have life, we have everything. So don’t be dejected,” he said, describing himself as a “veteran politician” who has experienced both victories and defeats over the years.
Mr Agyapong was one of five contenders in the tightly contested primary. The other aspirants were former Minister for Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP) for Abetifi, Dr Bryan Acheampong; former Minister for Education and MP for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; and former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
Reflecting on the outcome, Mr Agyapong acknowledged the unpredictable nature of politics and said he had prepared himself mentally for any result.
“In politics, you can win, you can lose… I cushioned myself and expected the worst, and the worst has happened, but the worst doesn’t mean that is the end of life,” he stated.
He praised his campaign leadership and volunteers, singling out his campaign coordinator and commending the team for what he described as “wonderful work.”
“At an appropriate time, we’ll meet and dine together,” he added.
A central theme of his address was party unity. Mr Agyapong appealed strongly to his supporters to accept the verdict of the delegates and avoid actions that could undermine cohesion within the NPP.
“I’m pleading with all of you not to do anything. We have to stay calm. We believe in the party. The delegates have spoken. We have to take it,” he said.
“Do not use this against anybody in the party… Let’s all come together as party members and work together,” he added, noting that the party still has “three years to go” before the 2028 general elections. “Who knows what will happen tomorrow?”
He also invoked faith, encouraging supporters to remain hopeful despite the setback.
“God will take care of you. He knows today was going to come… God that created us knew today will definitely come to pass,” he said, referencing past challenges faced by the party as a reminder of resilience.
In a lighter moment, Mr Agyapong urged supporters to relax and share a meal together after the tense contest.
“There’s a lot of food. Go in there. Eat. We have champagne, wine, beer. Eat what you can eat, and let’s see what tomorrow has for us,” he said.
Results from polling centres across the country showed Dr Bawumia secured 110,645 votes, representing 56.48 per cent of the total valid votes cast, confirming his victory in the NPP presidential primary.
