Private legal practitioner and human rights lawyer Martin Kpebu has urged delegates of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect a presidential candidate with a “clean and unblemished” public record ahead of the party’s next internal contest.
Speaking during a heated media discussion, Kpebu argued that electoral success depends on presenting a flagbearer who gives opponents little room for criticism. He cautioned delegates to rely on “common sense” and choose a candidate whose integrity would not dominate public debate during a national campaign.
In the course of the exchange, Kpebu described former vice-president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as “corrupt” and likened him to former president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, a remark that drew strong objections from other panellists. They challenged him to provide evidence to support the claim, stressing that allegations of corruption must be backed by facts or court convictions.
Kpebu insisted he was offering an opinion rather than stating a judicial finding, but critics maintained that branding a former vice-president or president as corrupt without proof amounted to an unfair attack on personal integrity.
The exchange underscored ongoing divisions within Ghana’s political discourse over accountability, corruption perceptions and the standards expected of leaders seeking national office.