New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary hopeful, Sylvester Tetteh, says the party must urgently strengthen its grassroots structures and make them battle-ready if it wants to return to power in the 2028 general elections.
Mr Tetteh said his campaign for the General Secretary position has received positive feedback across the country and expressed confidence in his ability to mobilise party members and rebuild the structures needed to secure electoral victory.
“I started my campaign with high confidence, and the reception has been so good. No constituency is new for me, and during my campaign, the feedback has been good,” he said.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Tetteh argued that elections are won at the grassroots rather than at the party headquarters.
“We need someone to do the ground work. Elections are not won at the party headquarters; the grounds are where we formulate structures that help the structures of the party to stand resolute and deliver power,” he stated.
According to him, the party’s structures play a critical role in translating the ambitions of its presidential candidate into electoral success.
“It is the party that takes the candidate to elections, not the other way round. So our structures on the ground are what will send us to power,” he said.
Mr Tetteh said his extensive experience across different levels of the NPP has equipped him with the knowledge required to lead the party as General Secretary.
He listed his experience as a polling station executive, constituency secretary, parliamentary candidate, TESCON president, member of the NPP National Organisational Council, Member of Parliament, Chief Executive Officer, board chairman and deputy minister.
“I have gathered all the experience. I am not a pushover when it comes to seeking for this party. I am resolute. My candidature is a strategic one for the party,” he stated.
Mr Tetteh said the party must also consider geographical balance and strategic considerations when selecting its national officers to complement the work of the flagbearer.
He noted that he is contesting against three other aspirants from the Ashanti Region but believes his candidature offers the NPP an opportunity to strategically include Greater Accra in its principal leadership positions.
“In spite of my competence, for strategic purposes, I am placed from the Greater Accra zone. The principal officers of our party are the flagbearer, running mate, chairman and the General Secretary. You think a region like Greater Accra doesn’t deserve a seat? Then we are not being strategic,” he said.
Mr Tetteh also stressed the importance of effective communication and organisational skills for the General Secretary.
He said the office requires someone capable of communicating the party’s message while also organising and mobilising supporters at all levels.
“The General Secretary is the chief spokesperson of the party, so the General Secretary must be an effective communicator. He must understand what it is to be a good organiser and a good mobiliser. I am good with all that,” he stated.
He further said he was not intimidated by the competition and remained focused on rebuilding the NPP’s structures ahead of the 2028 elections.
“I am not intimidated in the least. I am clear in my mind. We have to revisit our structures, prepare the structures and make them battle-ready,” he said.
Mr Tetteh also criticised the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), claiming that its inability to fulfil some of its promises to Ghanaians gives the NPP an opportunity to reconnect with voters.
“The NDC is disadvantaged; they haven’t been able to deliver on their promises to Ghanaians,” he stated.
He said the NPP must take advantage of its experience in government and communicate its record effectively to voters while preparing its grassroots structures for the next electoral contest.
“We need to lead our party to defend our records,” Mr Tetteh added.
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