How Ken Agyapong went from ‘exiting’ Parliament to entering NPP presidential race

Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong officially became the first person to announce his candidature for the governing New Patriotic Party’s presidential primaries.

All other names are of people widely believed to be interested in succeeding President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as flagbearer in the 2024 polls.

They include Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, both men are seen as the frontliners – their followers continue to tout their qualities but they have not formally confirmed their interest.

The case of Agyapong comes across as striking, given that he is seen as someone who is overly abrasive in his approach, from the way he fights opposition and even members of his own party.

He made the formal announcement of his candidature via a Facebook video posted on the wall of the Announcer Newspaper in May 2022.

Among others, he touted himself as the best man to help the NPP break the eight – reference to retaining power beyond the two-term cycle under the Fourth Republic.

But long before this announcement, Agyapong had announced that he will quit the lawmaking chamber when the current term expires in 2025.

The August 2021 announcement meant that Agyapong had planned on quitting Parliament after 24 years representing the constituency located in the Central Region.

His main reason for quitting he said was partly out of disappointment and also from the will to allow another person to try achieving as much as he did during his tenure.

Thus in a space of under a year Agyapong has transited from being an exiting MP to entering a race to become president, whether that ambition will materialize, the first step will be to run and win the flagbearer race next year.

Agyapong announces he will leave Parliament in 2025

“I’m doing a lot for my people but a whopping 42 per cent of the electorates in the 2020 polls think I’m not doing well, so I’m leaving but would wait patiently to see if any MP can do what I did,” he told delegates at a gathering of the New Patriotic Party’s annual Delegates Conference in Assin-Fosu.

To buttress the seriousness of his decision, he added: “Even if I’m given 1,000 cows, I will not go back because I want the people to know that I am fighting for their wellbeing and not myself as an MP.”

He, however, encouraged the party faithful who had gathered at Assin-Fosu to give full backing to the government in order to break the eight-year rule where an incumbent party loses power.

“I entreat you to stand firm and defend the government as measures are being put in place to improve the economy to bring relief to ordinary Ghanaians,” he stated.

Kennedy Agyapong announces presidential ambition

Kennedy Agyapong, in outlining his vision for the country stated that, one thing he will capitalise upon is to create more jobs for the youth.

“I won’t take salary or perks; any monetary benefit that should be given to me will be used as scholarships to educate the youth who are from poor backgrounds.

“Respectfully even the ‘chop money’ that I give in the house, if I decide to rely on the government salary then I can’t give my wife ‘chop money’ again. I will use the profits from my companies to take care of myself. If Ghanaians will give me either 4 or 8 years as the President, I won’t touch any monies from the state.

“I will establish what is known as a Presidential scholarship so that brilliant but needy students can also get some level of education to the university level,” he noted.

“When I become the President of Ghana, I will use tourism to develop Ghana. President Akufo-Addo has done very well with his 1 District 1 Factory as well as the Free SHS,” Kennedy Agyapong said.

“When Ghanaians give me the opportunity, this is a dream that I have and with discipline, we shall all wake up, and work hard [we can achieve it]. I will enforce discipline in my administration.

“I will introduce the ‘clock system’ so that every government worker that goes to work can be able to ‘clock’ to indicate the time of reporting and vice versa. Time is money and we waste a lot of time in Ghana doing so many things that are unnecessary.

“If you give me the chance within 100 days, I will change the mindset of the people; we have to get a positive mindset to develop this country and we can do it,” Agyapong stressed.

Message to NPP members and Ghanaians

“Ghanaians should have confidence in me because whatever I have said to myself that I will do by the grace of God I have done it. I am going to change the fortunes of the youth in our country because we have to create employment for the unemployed graduates…

“I will contest the flagbearship race and I will win. I am appealing to the members of the NPP that if they want to ‘Break The Eight’ you break the eight with Kennedy Agyapong because I walk the talk and have love for Ghanaians.

“I am the hope for the hopeless and voice for the voiceless,” Kennedy Agyapong stressed.