Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and aspiring National 1st Vice Chairman, Richard Ahiagbah, says the Vetting Committee bought into his agenda to make the party grassroots-focused and invest strategically to win back lost grounds in the Volta, Greater Accra and the five northern regions in 2028.
Speaking to the media after his vetting at the party headquarters in Accra on Monday, Mr. Ahiagbah described his interaction with the committee as very fruitful, with discussions focused on how to make the party stronger and position it for success in 2028.
“The questions were focused on how we can make the party stronger, position the party for success in 2028, and advice were given. The committee offered itself as an opportunity for us to access them in the discharge of our work, I think that it was a very cordial interaction. All the more focused on how we have built a stronger party, a winning party, a party that is focused on making sure that we’re winning,” he said.
The communications director said he had the chance to share his agenda to make the party grassroots again, and the committee welcomed it.
“I had a chance to tell them about my agenda to make the party grassroots, and they bought into that. Conversations about how we bring in the Volta region and more seats, and how we bring in and get more seats in Greater Accra and the five northern regions. How we bring them and invest strategically in those regions to ensure that the party is able to win those regions in the 2028 election,” he explained.
Mr. Ahiagbah promised that just like the party did in 2024, he will work hard with the grassroots to ensure total victory in 2028.
“I made a promise to them that I’m planning to work hard with the grassroots to ensure that in 2028 we’re able to paint Ghana NPP blue from Aflao to Axim, from Accra to Paga to ensure victory,” he declared.
According to him, the NPP is a grassroots party, and the reason the party lost the 2024 election is because the grassroots became disengaged and indifferent.
“Well, our party is grassroots, and my view is that we lost the election in 2024 simply because our people became disengaged and indifferent. We saw indication of that in 2020, where we came from 169 seats to 137, and that was an indication. Our grassroots were disenchanted. Most of them felt disappointed. The way they worked in 2016 for power to come, they didn’t see commensurate appreciation or recognition from the party,” he noted.
He believes if the party goes back to the grassroots and makes them understand that they form the centre of power when the party wins, the party will begin to work again.
“I think that in 2028, if we go back and make the grassroots understand that they form the centre of power when we win, then the party will begin to work,” he said.
Outlining his promise, Mr. Ahiagbah said he will ensure the party invests in the grassroots immediately after the October 3 elections, not six months to the general election.
“So my promise is two, among other things: one, to make the party grassroots, which is essentially ensuring that right after October 3, we invest in the party, not six months to election, not four months to election. We invest immediately when we come back from Kumasi. Gradually, we invest in the party. We have to maintain polling station executives all the way to the election, build relationships and networks that will translate into votes,” he said.
His second major promise, he said, is to protect the 10 appointments slot that the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has promised to give to each constituency.
“I promise them that I will protect the 10 appointments that our incoming president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has promised. He has made a promise that when he wins, we will ensure 10 appointments in every constituency. As far as I remain the national first vice chairman, I will ensure that those 10 slots are preserved for the constituency executives, the grassroots, to be the ones who choose for that spot. That is the only way we can transform the grassroots,” he assured.
He stressed that no godfather or godmother should hijack opportunities meant for the grassroots as happened in the last eight years.
“That’s the only way we can recognize their work by making sure that they retain that spot, and no godfather, godmother touching it. That’s what happened last time, in the last eight years, where people have done the work, but they have not seen the opportunity that comes from that. This time, I pledge to protect the ten and transform the grassroots, make it stronger, more attractive, and more energized for subsequent elections,” he concluded.
Richard Ahiagbah, who is the current Director of Communications, is one of the front-runners for the National First Vice Chairman position, a role considered critical for grassroots mobilization and party unity.
The NPP will on October 3, 2026 converge at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi to elect new national executives to lead the party’s rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
