By Daniel Bampoe
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has undertaken one of its most significant internal reforms in decades, amending its constitution in a move party leaders say is aimed at healing deep-seated fractures and correcting strategic missteps that contributed to the party’s defeat in the 2024 General Elections.
The new constitutional amendments were officially unveiled on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at a ceremony in Accra.
Addressing party faithful, General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong admitted that the NPP’s 2024 loss — the party’s first electoral defeat after eight years in power — exposed longstanding internal weaknesses that had been ignored for too long.
According to Justin Kodua, post-election reviews revealed that a combination of voter apathy, neglect of grassroots structures, and a poorly coordinated communication machinery played major roles in the party’s electoral decline. These findings, he said, guided the extensive reforms approved by the National Executive Committee.
Background: How the NPP Lost Its Way After 2016 and 2020 Victories
The NPP entered the 2024 elections on the back of two successive national victories in 2016 and 2020 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
But by 2023, simmering internal cracks had begun to widen — from factional tensions during the presidential primaries to grievances by former executives who felt sidelined as new leadership structures emerged.
A growing sense of disconnect between the party leadership and its grassroots created an atmosphere of apathy, especially in constituencies that had historically delivered large margins for the NPP. Analysts also pointed to frustration among former polling station and constituency executives, many of whom played critical roles in previous electoral victories but felt abandoned after the party assumed office.
Expanded Electoral College to Curb Apathy
To address these concerns, the amended constitution expands the NPP’s electoral college to include former executives at district and national levels — a move the General Secretary says is intended to restore inclusion and loyalty within the party’s internal hierarchy.
“We all know that one of the reasons why we did not get the needed vote to win the election was voter apathy,” Justin Kodua stated.
“Many former party executives felt neglected, and this affected their enthusiasm. With the new amendments, former executives will now have voting rights, ensuring that no one is left behind in our internal processes.”
The party believes these adjustments will rebuild trust and ensure stronger participation in future internal and national elections.
Communication Failures Identified as a Major Weakness
Justin Kodua also acknowledged that the NPP’s communication apparatus failed to effectively articulate the party’s achievements while in government.
Despite major policy initiatives under the Akufo-Addo administration — including Free SHS expansion, road infrastructure projects, and sectoral reforms — many Ghanaians felt disconnected from the party’s messaging.
“Another reason why we lost is that many people criticised our communication,” he said. “We had done so much, but we were not communicating them properly. There was no coordination among the various communication directors across the country.”
The amended constitution therefore introduces new structural guidelines to streamline communication and strengthen collaboration among regional and national communication teams.
A Forward-Looking Strategy After a Painful Defeat
The NPP’s leadership has framed the constitutional reforms as a crucial step in repositioning the party for the 2028 elections.
By addressing organisational shortcomings from the constituency level to the national headquarters, Kodua insisted that the amendments are not merely administrative changes but “a renewal of the party’s covenant with its grassroots.”
