Endorsements don’t always equate to actual votes, says Bryan Acheampong’s camp

Former Anyaa Sowutuom MP and spokesperson for Dr Bryan Acheampong’s campaign in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer race, Dr Dickson Adomako Kissi, has warned that public endorsements in internal party contests do not equate to actual votes.

Reacting to the recent reported declaration by over 220 former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) backing Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Adomako Kissi described the move as politically unwise and potentially damaging to party unity.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Tuesday, 24 June, he said the action was particularly ill-timed, given that discussions are ongoing within the party to consider officially including MMDCEs in the NPP’s electoral register.

“It is politically immature for the MMDCEs to do this,” he said. “Because Dr Bryan Acheampong was making a strong case in the NEC meeting that the MMDCEs should be added to the next register for the elections. So if you are being considered to be put in a register, and you make an open declaration for one candidate, it worsens your appeal to be added.”

Dr Adomako Kissi noted that open endorsements, while common, are not necessarily reflective of voting patterns and could generate unnecessary tension within the party.

“Declaring to me is not a guarantee that you will vote. My key point is that any upstart politician is even more worried when people are giving him fans. In the interest of the party, [we need] cohesion, and for us to move forward,” he cautioned.

He urged party stakeholders to prioritise unity over individual preferences, warning that endorsements driven by popularity rather than strategy could hurt the party in the long run.

The MMDCEs’ group, calling itself the “Forum of Former MMDCEs for Dr Bawumia,” made the declaration during a press conference at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Monday, 23 June, framing it as a strategic move to boost the Vice President’s chances in both the primaries and the 2028 general elections.

However, the Acheampong camp insists the endorsements risk undermining internal cohesion at a time when unity is paramount.