{"id":113478,"date":"2026-01-31T14:31:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=113478"},"modified":"2026-01-31T14:31:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T14:31:11","slug":"the-npp-needs-someone-who-is-popular-and-can-easily-be-marketed-dr-asah-asante","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=113478","title":{"rendered":"The NPP needs someone who is popular and can easily be marketed \u2013 Dr Asah-Asante"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Political scientist, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must choose a presidential candidate who combines competence with popularity if it hopes to win the 2028 general elections.<\/p>\n

Speaking on JoyNews as the NPP considers its flagbearer for the next election cycle, Dr Asah-Asante said the party\u2019s recent electoral record makes it clear that a different approach is needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re looking for competence. Competence is one,\u201d he said. According to him, the party needs \u201csomebody who has what it takes to deliver the public good.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained that the NPP\u2019s performance in recent years has not worked in its favour. \u201cIf you look at their record, the last ten years, it didn\u2019t work well for them,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo this time around, you want somebody who comes into office and will be able to turn the tables around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Asah-Asante added that the candidate must also have \u201cless political baggage\u201d. He warned that candidates with many past controversies could become a liability.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you open yourself up to somebody with a lot of baggage, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s going to serve as raw material for message development and attack on the party. So you want to gauge that very carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said delegates would also look closely at the candidate\u2019s background and support base. \u201cYou want somebody who has constituencies,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n

He pointed to factors such as region of origin, professional background, gender and religion, noting that although religion may not play a major role, \u201cwe are talking about a game of numbers, so numbers are important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Asah-Asante stressed that popularity remains a key consideration. \u201cOf course, you want somebody who is popular,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that when you want to market him, you wouldn\u2019t have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, he was quick to caution that popularity alone is not enough. \u201cThe fact that you are popular doesn\u2019t make you efficient,\u201d he said. Still, he admitted that popularity matters because \u201cyou need somebody that you don\u2019t struggle to market\u201d and who is known \u201cin the nook and cranny of the country\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said this is why competence must come first. \u201cYou tie the popularity with competence,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Dr Asah-Asante also reminded the party of a key finding from its own post-election report. He said about 1.7 million NPP supporters failed to vote in the last election.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want somebody that will be able to attract all these people back and then they vote for the party,\u201d he said. \u201cYou want to get those people voting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking beyond the party, he said the chosen candidate must also be ready for the demands of national leadership. \u201cIf you win this election, you are not just the leader of the NPP or the flagbearer, you are going into national elections.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to him, the candidate must understand Ghana\u2019s problems and offer clear solutions. \u201cWe are looking at somebody who has his eyes on the problems of this country as well as solutions to deal with our numerous problems,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He noted that all the aspirants have shared ideas that show some understanding of national issues, which makes the choice difficult. He said that research must guide campaign messages, saying decisions should be based on data from constituencies, regions, and national trends.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have done research and picked data on the ground, you speak from a position of authority,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dr Asah-Asante said the party needs a candidate who genuinely wants power and has a clear plan to win. \u201cYou want somebody who is desperately looking for power,\u201d he said, adding that such a person must have \u201cstrategy, message, and resources\u201d to succeed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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