NPP and NDC Leadership Races Intensify as Parties Reorganize for 2028 Electoral Success

Ghana’s political landscape is shifting into high gear as the two major parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), prepare for critical internal leadership elections ahead of the 2028 polls. With the NPP scheduled to hold its National Executive elections on October 3, 2026, and the NDC’s National Congress set for December 19, 2026, high-profile aspirants are filing nominations to steer their parties toward reorganization. These elections mark a pivotal moment for both organizations as they seek to address past electoral failures or consolidate current power under the administration of President John Mahama.

The NPP National Chairmanship race has become particularly competitive following the decision of incumbent Stephen Ayesu Ntim not to seek re-election. Leading contenders include former General Secretary John Boadu, Sammy Crabbe, Paul Afoko, Boakye Agyarko, and Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B). Notably, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the influential Ashanti Regional Chairman known as 'Wontumi,' has withdrawn from the race, citing personal circumstances and his current 20-year prison sentence for mining rights violations. Aspirants like Sammy Crabbe have attributed the party’s 2024 loss to a 'serious systemic failure,' advocating for structural reforms in candidate selection and funding. Meanwhile, General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong has received strong endorsements from women executives in the Central Region as he seeks a second term to support the 2028 ambitions of the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Within the governing NDC, former Minister Akwasi Opong-Fosu has officially entered the race for National Chairman, challenging the incumbent Johnson Asiedu Nketiah. Pledging a vision of 'Restoration, Renewal, and Resetting,' Opong-Fosu aims to consolidate the legacy of President John Mahama while strengthening grassroots engagement. Despite the party’s current control of the presidency, internal tensions remain; Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande recently warned that an unmanaged open primary for the 2028 presidential ticket could lead to catastrophic divisions. The NDC is also focused on constituency-level stability, with candidates like Reuben Kemavor in Akan campaigning on platforms of financial transparency and accountability.

Both parties are also navigating internal friction at the regional level as they transition. The NPP faces a constitutional dispute in the Volta Region, where the Regional Secretariat has declared Chairman Makafui Kofi Woanyah’s recent appointments null and void due to a lack of executive consultation. Strategically, NPP aspirants for auxiliary roles, such as Dennis Miracles Aboagye for Communications and Abanga Yakubu for Youth Organiser, are proposing aggressive mobilization frameworks—including 'Agenda 4 Million Youth Votes'—to reclaim power. These internal maneuvers underscore a shared realization among Ghana's political elite: the path to the 2028 presidency begins with the discipline and unity established during these upcoming leadership contests.