A new survey among members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has placed Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the overwhelming favourite to win the party’s flagbearership, just weeks ahead of the delegates’ vote.
The poll, conducted by Governance Lab Africa between November and December 2025, found that 51.8 per cent of the 340 party members surveyed would vote for Dr Bawumia if the presidential primary were held today.
He enjoys a commanding lead over his closest challengers, with Dr Bryan Acheampong polling 20.6 per cent and Kennedy Agyapong securing 18.8 per cent support.
According to the survey’s executive summary, “Dr Mahamudu Bawumia emerges as the clear frontrunner,” with a significant advantage over the rest of the field. The report further noted that voter preferences appear largely settled, with 84.4 per cent of respondents saying their choice of candidate is firmly decided.
The pollsters, however, cautioned that the findings reflect the views of general party members and not the actual delegates who will vote in the January 2026 primary, adding that internal party dynamics and lobbying could still influence the final outcome.
The survey also highlighted that economic concerns are shaping the race, with job creation and youth unemployment emerging as the top issue for 46.5 per cent of respondents ahead of the 2028 general election. Electability was another key factor, with 44.1 per cent of respondents saying the candidate’s ability to win the 2028 election is the most important quality they seek in a flagbearer.
Demographically, the sample was largely male (87.9 per cent) and highly educated, with 92.9 per cent holding tertiary qualifications. Despite the proximity of the primary, about 73.8 per cent of respondents admitted they were not closely following developments in the contest.
With the primary scheduled for next month, the findings suggest that Dr Acheampong and Mr Agyapong face an uphill battle in closing a more than 30-percentage-point gap in a race where most party members appear to have already made up their minds.
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