A recent campaign remark by New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart and presidential hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong, has sparked controversy across Ghana’s political and social landscape.
The former Assin Central Member of Parliament, while addressing party delegates in the Eastern Region, appeared to lump all five regions in the northern part of Ghana under a single “Northern” classification, a move many have described as ignorant and dismissive of the country’s regional diversity.
In a video that has since gone viral, Mr. Agyapong is heard making the case that Ghanaians would not vote for another presidential candidate from either the Eastern or the “Northern” regions, after previous leaders hailed from those areas.
“In politics, we will tell you the truth, and the truth is that Eastern Region had their president for eight years and you think Ghanaians are going to vote for the next person from the Eastern Region? Ghanaians will not vote. Eastern go, Eastern come will never work, so if Eastern go, Eastern come will never work, Northern go, Northern come will also not work. So the only alternative is Kennedy Agyapong. I am from the Central Region; NPP should give the Central Region an opportunity,” he declared to cheering delegates.
Mr. Agyapong’s comments have been widely interpreted as politically divisive and geographically inaccurate. Ghana currently has sixteen constitutionally recognized administrative regions, including five in the northern part of the country — Northern, Upper East, Upper West, North East, and Savannah. His remarks, critics say, effectively reduced the national tally to twelve by ignoring the distinct status of these regions.
Backlash from stakeholders
Policy experts and civic voices have criticized the statement as reflective of a deeper misunderstanding of Ghana’s regional identity. Among the strongest reactions came from Rev. Eastwood Anaba, a respected preacher and social commentator, who has long argued against the “lazy classification” of all northern territories as one homogenous unit.
Speaking previously at the 2nd Media Festival organized by The Press Foundation (TPF) in Bolgatanga, Rev. Anaba emphasized the need to view each region in the north as unique, with its own cultural and developmental needs.
“The three regions have different potentials and characteristics which must be identified and dealt with separately with the best of approaches to enhance their development,” he stated.
“There is no such thing as the ‘three regions of the north.’ That expression doesn’t exist but has been used so often that it has become accepted. Where are the three southern regions? Where are the two eastern regions? So why the three northern regions? It is a lazy and discriminatory classification that allows policymakers to ignore us,” he added.
A pattern of regional oversimplification
Political analysts note that Agyapong’s comments fit a long-standing trend in Ghanaian politics, where leaders often make broad generalizations about the “North” and “South” without regard to the constitutional and cultural distinctions within these areas. Such oversimplifications, they warn, risk deepening existing regional inequalities and alienating communities that already feel neglected in national development planning.
Calls for Greater Sensitivity and Awareness
Following the backlash, several civil society organizations have called for politicians to exercise greater sensitivity when discussing regional issues. They argue that political figures, especially those seeking national office, should demonstrate a clear understanding of Ghana’s administrative and cultural landscape.
