New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vice‑Chairman aspirant Richard Ahiagbah warned that the party’s continued weakness in seven of Ghana’s sixteen regions is eroding its electoral strength in the Ashanti Region. He said the NPP must shift from treating the Volta and the five northern regions as permanent weak spots to actively investing in them, as voters from these areas can now influence results in the party’s traditional strongholds.
Ahiagbah made the remarks on Eyewitness News on Friday, October 2, ahead of the NPP’s national officers’ election on Saturday, October 3, in Kumasi. More than 7,000 delegates are expected to vote for new national executives as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
He highlighted that the NPP’s poor performance in the Volta Region and the northern parts has allowed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to gain momentum there, while demographic shifts in Ashanti are also affecting the party’s margins. "The NDC is building momentum in Ashanti, and they are building momentum in Bono, they are building momentum in Eastern Region, Ahafo, Western Region and Western North, Central Region, Greater Accra, largely because of the weakness of the party in these seven regions," he said.
Ahiagbah pointed to the 2020 parliamentary election in Hohoe, where the NPP’s candidate helped the party maintain a majority, as evidence that investing in historically weak areas can be decisive. "That was a decider. That was a game changer," he added.
He stressed that the party’s leadership should use its executive structure to pursue a broader electoral strategy, not merely to secure regional representation. "We are engaged in the business of finding votes," he said, arguing that deliberate investment is needed to broaden the NPP’s support base.
As the party heads into its national executive election, Ahiagbah’s call for a strategic shift will likely influence discussions among delegates and shape the NPP’s preparation for the 2028 election.
