Three National Chairman hopefuls have filed their nominations to contest the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) October 3, 2026, national executive elections.
They are Sammy Crabbe, who filed on Monday; Paul Afoko, who filed on Tuesday; and Boakye Agyarko, who filed on Wednesday. Another aspirant, John Boadu, was expected to file his forms on Thursday.
A fifth chairmanship aspirant, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the race. Citing his personal circumstances and a desire not to become a burden to the party, Antwi-Boasiako said he took the decision upon "sober reflection and consultations" with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters. "This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want to protect; what we love even more," he said in a statement.
Antwi-Boasiako is currently serving a 20-year jail term for assigning mineral rights granted to his company, Akonta Mining Limited, to two persons, Michael Gyedu Ayisi and Henry Okum, without obtaining the required approval from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
After filing his forms, Afoko pledged to lead an inclusive administration and serve every member of the party if elected, irrespective of their faction, preferred candidate, region or generation. "There cannot be one NPP for those who supported Candidate A and another NPP for those who supported Candidate B," he said, adding that he would not limit his leadership to any faction, candidate, region or generation. "I will be chairman for every member of the New Patriotic Party." Afoko maintained that the NPP could only become strong enough to defeat its political opponents once its members stopped treating one another as enemies, anchoring his campaign on three objectives: "Reunite, Reorganise and Recapture," as the party positions itself to challenge for power in the 2028 general election.
Agyarko, for his part, declared his intention to address the challenges confronting the party and return it to political power. He urged party members not to lose hope despite the NPP's current difficulties, insisting the party still had the capacity to bounce back. "We may be down, but we are not out. NPP shall rise again," he said, adding that his ultimate objective was to help the party regain power and support the presidential ambitions of former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
