Issah Olegor
Supporters of former Energy Minister Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko are intensifying their campaign for his election as National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), portraying him as the candidate with the experience, organisational vision and temperament required to rebuild the party ahead of the 2028 general election.
In a campaign message following Agyarko’s appearance on Asempa 94.7 FM’s Ekosii Sen, his supporters argued that his presentation demonstrated a clear understanding of the responsibilities of a National Chairman and offered what they described as a practical blueprint for restoring the NPP after its defeat in the 2024 elections.
The campaign maintains that Agyarko’s approach is centred on rebuilding rather than confrontation, with emphasis on strengthening the party from the polling-station level to the national leadership.
Agyarko understands the chairmanship
According to the statement, Agyarko’s calm and measured presentation during the interview demonstrated the temperament expected of a National Chairman.
The campaign cited his description of the position in Twi — “Chairman adwuma no yɛ animuonyam adwuma” — as evidence of his view that the office carries significant responsibility and must command respect beyond the NPP’s membership.
His supporters argue that the party needs a chairman capable of bringing its various groups together rather than deepening existing divisions.
They consequently portray Agyarko as a potential unifying figure at a time when the NPP is undertaking an internal rebuilding exercise following its electoral setback.
Political and corporate experience highlighted
The campaign has also placed considerable emphasis on Agyarko’s political and professional background.
It says he has been involved in the political tradition dating back to the 1970s, when he served as a youth leader of the People’s Front Party (PFP), before becoming founding chairman of the NPP’s North America branch.
The statement further credits him with helping to establish NPP branches in North America and Europe and argues that this experience gives him an understanding of how political structures can be built from the ground up.
His supporters also point to his reported 23 years at the Bank of New York, describing his corporate experience as an asset that could help modernise the party’s administrative and financial systems.
The campaign argues that Agyarko would bring institutional management experience to the NPP rather than learning the responsibilities of leadership on the job.
‘Operation One Touch’ and Bawumia’s 2028 bid
Agyarko’s campaign is being presented as closely linked to the NPP’s objective of returning to government in 2028.
His supporters say his stated goal is to help the party’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, win the presidency while rebuilding the party’s parliamentary strength.
The campaign says Agyarko intends to prioritise strategy, resource mobilisation and the empowerment of party officers at every level.
It further argues that the National Chairman must ensure that officials from polling stations through to the national executive level have the resources and organisational support necessary to perform their roles effectively.
Membership database at centre of rebuilding plan
One of the key proposals highlighted by the campaign is the creation of what it describes as the “biggest verifiable membership database” in the NPP’s history.
The objective, according to the campaign, is to establish a reliable record of genuine party members and reduce the problems associated with inaccurate or unverifiable membership information.
The proposal assumes even greater importance amid discussions within the party about strengthening internal democratic participation and improving the reliability of its membership records.
Agyarko’s supporters argue that reliable data would allow the NPP to better understand its membership, organise its grassroots structures and make more informed electoral decisions.
Support linked to Kufuor and Bawumia
The campaign also points to Agyarko’s relationships with senior figures within the NPP as part of the argument for his candidature.
It cites former President John Agyekum Kufuor as having encouraged Agyarko to take up a leadership role in the party and highlights Agyarko’s relationship with Dr Bawumia.
The campaign has previously presented Agyarko as a figure capable of working with the NPP’s presidential candidate while maintaining neutrality in other internal contests.
This positioning is intended to reassure delegates that an Agyarko-led party organisation would focus on building the structures required to support the presidential campaign rather than becoming entangled in internal factional battles.
NPP’s electoral decline shapes the contest
The campaign’s appeal comes against the background of the NPP’s declining parliamentary fortunes.
The party won 169 parliamentary seats in 2016, dropped to 137 in 2020, and recorded 88 seats in 2024. Agyarko has previously cited these figures as evidence that the party requires serious organisational rebuilding.
His supporters argue that the next National Chairman must therefore be judged on the ability to restore grassroots confidence, improve internal organisation and prepare the party well before the 2028 campaign reaches its peak.
October 3 decision
Agyarko is among the candidates seeking to become the NPP’s next National Chairman, with the party’s National Officers Elections scheduled for October 3, 2026.
The election will determine a new national leadership team responsible for steering the party’s organisational affairs following the 2024 defeat.
The National Chairmanship is therefore expected to be one of the most closely watched contests, particularly because the successful candidate will have a central role in coordinating the party’s internal structures ahead of the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections.
They have consequently adopted the message “Boakye Agyarko — The Rebuilder”, arguing that his election would provide the organisational foundation they believe the NPP needs to rise again and support Bawumia’s bid for the presidency in 2028.
