Samuel Owusu Amankwaa is emerging as one of the prominent names in the New Patriotic Party’s efforts to reclaim the Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary seat, following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election.
Amankwaa, a businessman, philanthropist and politician, has previously contested the party’s parliamentary primary in the constituency and has since continued to build his profile among party members.
The stakes are particularly high for the NPP in Ayawaso West Wuogon. The party lost the seat in 2024 after its candidate, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, polled 27,377 votes against John Setor Dumelo’s 40,561 — a difference of 13,184 votes.
For the NPP, the challenge now is not simply winning an internal primary but selecting a candidate capable of mounting a credible campaign to reverse that deficit.
Supporters of Amankwaa argue that his previous experience in the constituency gives him an important advantage.
“He has been through this process before. He understands the constituency, he understands the delegates and, importantly, he understands what has to change if the NPP is to regain the seat,” one party source familiar with the constituency said.
Amankwaa’s supporters also point to what they describe as a clear and consistent message to delegates, centred on organisation, visibility and reconnecting the party with voters.
The contest is likely to attract considerable attention given that Dumelo, who won the seat for the NDC in 2024, remains a significant political figure in the constituency.
But within the NPP, the emerging question is whether the party can identify a candidate with the organisation, experience and political reach required to close the gap.
Amankwaa’s name is increasingly being placed in that conversation.