On October 3, delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will elect a new set of national executives, with the contest for General Secretary emerging as one of the most closely watched races.
Few positions carry as much weight as General Secretary. The office sits at the heart of the party’s organisation, communication and day-to-day political machinery.
After the NPP’s heavy defeat in the 2024 general elections, the choice of who occupies the position has taken on added urgency.
Incumbent Justin Kodua Frimpong is seeking a second term and faces three challengers: former Subin MP Eugene Boakye Antwi, former Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro MP Sylvester Tetteh and current National Treasurer Charles Dwamena, popularly known as Dr China.
Each aspirant brings a distinct political background and a different assessment of what the NPP needs as it prepares for the 2028 elections.
Justin Frimpong Kodua: The continuity candidate
Kodua, a lawyer by training, rose through the Ashanti youth ranks before serving as Chief Executive of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in 2017.
He was appointed during former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s first term to lead efforts to address youth unemployment in Ghana.
In 2020, he served as Chairman of the Strategic Communications Committee of the Ashanti Region NPP ahead of the general elections. He also served as a member of the V20 Team, where he played a key role in facilitating training programmes across the country.
Elected General Secretary in 2022, Kodua is presenting himself as the candidate of continuity and institutional memory.
His pitch centres on strengthening grassroots structures, tightening internal systems and keeping the party focused on a return to power in 2028 under Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Supporters point to his organisational experience and legal background as assets at a time when the party needs discipline and effective management of its internal processes.
Eugene Boakye Antwi: The reformer
Eugene Boakye Antwi offers a contrasting profile.
A former Member of Parliament for Subin and former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, he combines parliamentary experience with a background in banking and administration, including experience in the United Kingdom.
His campaign has focused on unity, structural reform and modernisation.
He has spoken about digitising party operations, decentralising decision-making and restoring organisational discipline.
For Boakye Antwi, the General Secretary’s role is less about maintaining the status quo and more about deliberately rebuilding the party after its electoral setback.
Sylvester Tetteh: The grassroots mobiliser
Former Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro MP and former Chief Executive of the National Youth Authority, Sylvester Tetteh brings extensive experience in Greater Accra politics and grassroots mobilisation.
He has described the current moment as one that requires a “wartime general” rather than a peacetime administrator.
His campaign places emphasis on strong political communication, energetic organisation and reconnecting the party’s leadership with its grassroots.
Having contested and organised in difficult political environments, Tetteh argues that the NPP needs a General Secretary who can communicate forcefully while ensuring that the party’s machinery remains active and responsive in opposition.
Charles Dwamena: The systems man
Current National Treasurer Charles Dwamena enters the race with a reputation for financial administration and systems reform.
A former Deputy Ambassador to China, he has spoken about digitising party finances, creating mentorship pathways for younger members and strengthening welfare structures within the organisation.
His message centres on competence, accountability and rebuilding trust through orderly management of the party’s resources and internal processes.
One office, four visions
The contest unfolds against a clear backdrop: the NPP is still grappling with the lessons of its 2024 defeat.
Delegates must decide whether the party is best served by continuity under a sitting General Secretary or by a change of direction under one of the three challengers.
Each aspirant believes he can help restore the party’s organisational strength and electoral competitiveness.
Together, the four men offer the NPP a genuine choice.
Kodua represents continuity and institutional experience. Boakye Antwi offers reform and structural modernisation. Tetteh brings a strong emphasis on mobilisation and political communication, while Dwamena is making the case for administrative and financial systems reform.
The delegates who gather on October 3 will determine which combination of experience, temperament and vision best matches the NPP’s needs after its 2024 election defeat.
The decision will not merely fill an office.
It will provide an important signal of how the NPP intends to organise itself for the difficult task of returning to power in 2028 — and how it interprets the lessons of its recent past.
