Samuel Atta Akyea, a former Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, has stated that any New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant who cannot raise the party’s development fee of GH¢4million is not even influential.
According to him, any aspirant who struggles to pay the party’s development fee is not fit to contest for the presidency.
Atta Akyea emphasised that a candidate’s inability to pay the GH¢4 million fee is a sign of a lack of influence and credibility.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Atta Akyea stated, “If you are in opposition, you will raise money, so it is a sensible way to raise money.
If a man says he is credible and people should vote for him as a flagbearer, and he can’t raise GH¢4 million, that means he doesn’t count; he is not even influential. Who is telling you that you are the one going to pay the money?” he said.
The NPP’s GH¢4 million development fee on presidential aspirants has sparked widespread criticism and raised questions about the party’s democratic principles.
Also, Samuel Atta Akyea issued a warning to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirants.
Atta Akyea urged NPP presidential aspirants to refrain from using insults.
He emphasised that strong ideas and proven track records are what will ultimately win the support of the party’s grassroots.
Atta Akyea is quoted as saying, “All those who will specialise in insults will lose. What will romance the ground are your solid ideas and track records”.
Meanwhile, reports gathered suggested some NPP presidential aspirants are at risk of disqualification over failure to pay GHC 4 million development fees by the September 5 deadline.
It will be recalled that Kennedy Agyapong last week blew the alarm that NPP aspirants were made to pay GHC 4 million development fees.
According to Kennedy Agyapong, it is a disgraceful thing that all five contestants in the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearership paid an extra four million cedis after paying for the filing fees.
He asserted that the party is broke just eight months after leaving office.
Speaking to party delegates in the Western North Region, Kennedy Agyapong stated, “What’s even disgraceful now is that all the aspirants are paying four million for development fees. I took my form for a hundred thousand and filed for five hundred thousand. I was told that there was a deadline, so I had to give them four million”.
Kennedy Agyapong further beg the NPP delegates to try him if he fails to deliver as a flagbearer and subsequently president, the delegates can remove him after four years and try someone else..
Mr Agyapong added, “If contracts were given to our contractors, would we have been standing there when NDC was distributing money, and would we not be doing the same? Please try me, and let’s see. After four years, if I don’t deliver, you can remove me and try another person; if I do well, we continue to build the country and the party.”
“If we had resourced our contractors and made them money, we would not be complaining that NDC was sharing money while we sat and watched,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong continued, “We need to build the party, and we can only build the party if we resource the party people. We don’t resource them. Someone can say we are not here because of the party.
Someone’s agency, since he left the NDC, has filled over 12 vacancies, and you are sitting here jobless. These same people are coming to you; please don’t sell yourself cheap”.
The NPP 2026 primaries are heating up with the main front-runners for the NPP’s flagbearer position, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Minister for Agriculture Bryan Acheampong, former Minister for Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
The NPP’s Presidential Elections Committee confirmed that five aspirants have completed and submitted their nomination forms.
The five include Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, Hon. Dr. Bryan Acheampong, H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Hon. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.
However, reports circulating suggest some members of the five risk being disqualified over failure to pay GHC 4 million development fees.
The NPP will be holding their internal elections on Saturday, January 31, 2026, to select a flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.