Ken Agyapong impresses in NR despite efforts to whip delegates votes for Bawumia

Correspondence from Northern Region

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful and Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong has impressed in the party’s presidential primaries in the Northern Region, a stronghold of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Kennedy Agyapong had nearly 20% of the votes in the region despite months of efforts by Regional Executives of the party to allegedly whip the party’s delegates in line to vote for Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Provisional Results indicate that Ohene Agyapong polled 1995 votes in the region, representing 17.38 percent while Dr Bawumia polled 9238, representing 80.46 percent.

The Northern Regional Executives of the NPP led by Regional Chairman, Mohammed Bantima Samba declared their unflinching support for Dr Bawumia and had pledged to secure him 100 percent votes in the primaries.

However, Kennedy Agyapong's campaign team in the region accused the regional executives of bias, manipulation, and intimidation.

On Friday, November 3, 2023, Agyapong’s team were left frustrated after what they described as “attempts by the establishment to impose a media blackout” on their team on notable television and radio platforms in the region by buying out almost all available airspace in the region.

Kennedy Agyapong was not expected to get more than 10 percent of the votes in the region, however as the results started trickling in, the Assin Central MP shocked many observers.

In Yendi, the NPP’s stronghold in the region where MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama and Aspiring Parliamentary Candidate, Hajia Abibata Shani Mahama had both pledged to secure a resounding victory for Dr Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong dazzled as he secured almost half of Dr Bawumia’s votes.

He polled 219 votes against Dr Bawumia’s 545 votes.

In a constituency where delegates had earlier in the day told GhanaWeb that the election was a “mere endorsement exercise”, it was shocking that Dr Bawumia barely polled 70 percent of the total vote cast there.

In Kumbungu, Ken secured 30.5 percent of the votes, 23.4 percent in Tamale North 25.1 percent in Mion, and a shocking 28.3 percent in Yendi.

However, for the Bawumia campaign team, the most important thing is the fact that the results are enough to secure him the Presidential Candidate slot to make him the first 'Northerner' to lead the NPP into a Presidential election.