Ghana’s Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the race for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearership, according to the latest nationwide survey conducted by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Ghana ahead of the party’s January 31st ,2026 presidential primaries.
The survey, which sampled more than 18,000 respondents across the country, including over 5,000 NPP delegates and 13,000 non-delegates, highlights a strong preference for competence, experience and development-oriented leadership among both party insiders and the wider public.
Strong lead among delegates
Among NPP delegates, Dr. Bawumia enjoys a commanding lead. Nearly 70 per cent (69.7%) of delegates identified him as the candidate who best demonstrates the leadership qualities they desire in a flagbearer. When asked directly who is best suited to lead the party, 67.8 per cent of delegates chose Dr. Bawumia, compared with 21.3 per cent for Hon. Kennedy Agyapong and 6.6 per cent for Dr. Bryan Acheampong.
KAS noted that these figures place Dr. Bawumia ahead of his closest rival by roughly a three-to-one margin, positioning him as the overwhelming favourite should the primaries be held today.
Broader public support
Dr. Bawumia also leads among non-delegates, securing the support of 50.6 per cent of respondents. He is followed by Kennedy Agyapong with 29.8 per cent and Bryan Acheampong with 8.7 per cent, while other potential candidates recorded marginal support.
What voters want
Across both delegates and non-delegates, respondents emphasised leadership capacity over identity considerations. Competence emerged as the most important quality, cited by 24.9 per cent of respondents, followed by experience (20.3 per cent), vision (16.9 per cent), and accessibility at the grassroots level (14.1 per cent). Identity factors such as age, gender, religion and ethnicity accounted for less than one per cent of responses.
High interest in primaries
The survey also found strong engagement among party delegates, with 84.5 per cent saying they are very interested in the upcoming primaries and 91.6 per cent indicating they are likely or very likely to vote. Interest among non-delegates was lower, at 37 per cent.
About the survey
KAS Ghana said the survey reflects a diverse and nationally representative sample, with respondents drawn from urban, peri-urban and rural areas, across age groups, educational backgrounds, religions and ethnic communities.
The foundation explained that the study forms part of its mandate to promote democracy, good governance and informed political debate through evidence-based research.
As the NPP edges closer to its 2026 primaries, the KAS survey suggests that Dr. Bawumia currently holds a decisive advantage in the contest.
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16 DECEMBER 2025
PRESS RELEASE
SURVEY AHEAD OF NPP FLAGBEARER PRIMARIES SHOWS CLEAR FRONT RUNNER AND STRONG EXPECTATIONS FOR COMPETENT, ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Ghana has conducted an extensive survey among more than 18.000 respondents to understand expectations and preferences ahead of the January 2026 NPP Presidential Primaries.
The findings highlight a strong desire for competence, experience, and development-oriented leadership, as well as clear frontrunners among potential Flagbearers. The survey, which includes the responses of over 5.000 NPP delegates and more than 13.000 citizens (non-delegates), reflects a highly inclusive and diverse national sample with strong representation across all age groups (core ages between 26–55), across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas (41% rural), different educational and employment backgrounds, religions (Christian 74%, Muslim 22%) and across all ethnic groups.
These demographics ensure that the results reflect the views of a wide cross-section of Ghanaian society.
KEY FINDINGS:
1.What qualities and strengths do citizens (delegates and non-delegates) want to see in the next NPP flagbearer? Across all respondents, the top expectations are: Competence (largest factor at 24.9%), Experience (20.3%), Vision (16.9%), Accessibility (also at the grassroot level) (14.1%) and Charisma (8.5%). Identity factors such as age, gender, religion, or tribe collectively account for less than 1% of responses.
2. Which personalities possess the required leadership qualities? Delegates: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia – 69.7%; Hon. Kennedy Agyapong – 22.5%; Dr Bryan Acheampong – 6.0%; Others – 5% Non-delegates: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia – 50.6%; Hon. Kennedy Agyapong – 29.8%; Dr Bryan Acheampong – 8.7%; Others – small single digits Delegates’ preferences are decisive: Bawumia leads by a 3:1 margin, currently positioning him as the overwhelming favourite if the primaries were held today.
4.Overall interest in the primaries 84.5% of NPP delegates stated they are very interested in the upcoming primaries, while only 37% of citizens (non-delegates) say they are very interested. 91.6% of NPP delegates indicated they are likely or very likely to vote in the primaries
About Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS): KAS is a political foundation dedicated to promoting democracy, good governance, and political dialogue around the world. This survey is part of our commitment to providing evidence-based insights into Ghana’s democratic processes and political debate.
