By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Sogakope
The Deputy Volta Regional Organizer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Emmanuel Quarshie has described the impressive performance of Dr. Bryan Acheampong in the Saturday, 29th January, 2026 presidential primary in the Volta Region as not expected but also not surprising. Speaking to our newsteam on the outcome of the polls, Mr Quarshie noted that Dr Bryan Acheampong’s strategy, financial strength and a reduction in Kennedy Ohene Agyepong’s votes did the magic for him.
A total of 12,626 delegates took part in the NPP presidential primaries across the eighteen (18) constituencies of the Volta Region. Though the election of the flagbearer was very peaceful and orderly, it produced one big surprise when Dr. Bryan Acheampong poled 5,234 votes to beat Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Ohene Agyepong who secured 4,093 and 1,982 votes respectively.
The outcome of the Volta Region polls has generated a lot of conversations and debates among sections of the general public including the NPP members themselves who have been discussing Bryan’s performance in the Region.
Speaking to our newsteam in an interview at Sogakope, the Deputy Regional Organizer of the NPP, Mr Emmanuel Quarshie noted that Dr. Bryan’s performance was not expected but not surprising as well, adding that his strategy, financial muscle and a flip of Kennedy’s supporters to his camp, did the magic for him. He explained that Dr. Acheampong’s strategy made some of the delegates felt extremely good and encouraged following their invitation to spend a day or two at Dr Bryan’s Rock City Hotel in Akwatia Kwahu in the Eastern Region where they also had the opportunity to interact with him. Mr. Quarshie described these underpinning factors as worrisome but added that they were all part of the game of politics.
Mr Quarshie regretted that the people of the Volta Region always lose out on the party anytime they have the opportunity to do so. According to him, the good people of the region have had the opportunity in the past under former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to support the NPP. This regrettably did not happen, saying it is about time the people of the Volta Region accepted the NPP as their alternative party that can advance their interest in all spheres of life and development. ‘I am just pleading with them that Bryan did well in the Volta Region but we must always be with the winning team’, the Deputy Regional Organizer emphasized.
He also rejected suggestions that when elected as President of the country, Dr. Bawumia would discriminate against the good people of the Volta Region. ‘The man is not somebody who discriminates. He does not believe in those things’, Mr. Quarshie pointed out.
He emphasized that Dr. Bawumia knows the history of the NPP tradition too well to discriminate against Voltaians. ‘In fact, Dr Bawumia has Volta Region at heart. He has never and ever discriminated against Volta. The issue is that we have never tested him hence these perceptions of people’s minds’, Mr Quarshie intimated. He therefore gave the assurance that Dr. Bawumia would do better for the Volta Region, explaining that most of the good things he did as Vice President was not for one region and that it was for the entire country including the Volta Region.
The Deputy Regional Organizer stressed the need for the NPP fraternity to be united towards the greater agenda of prosecuting the 2028 general elections. He urged the rank and file of the party to put the 29th January, 2026 presidential primaries behind them, saying the urgent task ahead is pursuing unity and forgiveness in order to remain united and as a strong opposition to keep government on its toes.
Mr Quarshie, urged the youth of the party not to be despair. According to him, there is time for everything and for everyone to reap his or her seeds in the NPP. He also urged those in responsible positions in the party to extend supporting hands to the grassroots members and the less-privileged supporters in order to motivate them and also create opportunities for them to thrive
‘It behoves on all of us to sit down and strategize. What do we do when we are bringing Dr. Bawumia again? What do we do for Volta to win the favour of Dr. Bawumia? These are the lingering issues we must all think about as a party’, the Deputy Regional Organizer quizzed and pointed out.
He agreed that money plays a key role in politics, explaining that it also enabled Dr. Bryan Acheampong to secure more votes from the Volta Region. He shared his Boss’ take on the highest bidder syndrome that, ‘the lubricant of political intercourse is cash’. ‘So if you want to go into politics, you must get that lubrication that they call cash. If you don’t have it, forget it’, Mr Quarshie explained.
