Political Science Professor at the University of Ghana, Prof. Jasper Ayelazuno, has questioned whether the New Patriotic Party’s newly elected national executives have the leadership credentials required to rebuild the party, restore public confidence and return it to power in 2028.
Speaking on Radio Gold, Prof. Ayelazuno argued that the significance of the NPP’s national executive elections should be assessed against the scale of the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election and the task now confronting its new leadership.
The NPP lost power in 2024 after its presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, was defeated by John Dramani Mahama. The Electoral Commission declared Mahama winner with 56.55% of the valid votes used for the declaration, against Bawumia’s 41.61%.
Against that background, Prof. Ayelazuno said the central question is whether the executives chosen by NPP delegates represent the kind of leadership capable of changing the party’s image and persuading voters to return it to office.
“If we have to judge these national officers who have been elected to direct the party’s affairs and then win the 2028 election, I don’t think this is the best team they have,” he stated.
His criticism centred partly on the election of John Boadu as National Chairman and the retention of Justin Kodua Frimpong as General Secretary.
Boadu, who previously served as NPP General Secretary, lost that position to Kodua in the party’s 2022 national executive election. Kodua polled 2,837 votes against Boadu’s 2,524 at the time. Four years later, Boadu returned to win the National Chairmanship with 2,888 votes, while Kodua retained the General Secretary position with 4,486 votes.
Prof. Ayelazuno questioned what message delegates intended to send by elevating a former General Secretary who was rejected in 2022 to the chairmanship while simultaneously retaining the man who defeated him.
He also raised questions about the election of Kojo Fosu Boadu, popularly known as Kojo Bamba, as First National Vice Chairman, suggesting that the outcome further strengthened his doubts about whether delegates selected the strongest possible leadership team from the available contenders.
The new executives have been given a four-year mandate and will be responsible for reorganising the NPP and leading its preparations for the 2028 general election.
Questions NPP’s ‘ballot protection’ emphasis
Prof. Ayelazuno also questioned the NPP’s emphasis on protecting ballots as part of its strategy for future elections.
He argued that the conduct and management of public elections are constitutionally entrusted to the Electoral Commission, which works with state security agencies to maintain order and security during the electoral process.
For him, the NPP’s immediate challenge goes beyond protecting ballots on election day. He maintained that the more fundamental task facing the new executives is rebuilding the party’s credibility and convincing Ghanaians who rejected it in 2024 to trust it with power again in 2028.
Story by Afornorfe Lucy
