Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s attempt to consolidate his influence over the organisational structures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has suffered a major setback following the defeat of candidates associated with his camp in three of the party’s most politically significant regions.
The results of the NPP’s regional executive elections held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, indicate that while Dr. Bawumia secured the party’s presidential nomination earlier this year, his victory has not translated into control of the party’s regional machinery.
In Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti, candidates perceived to be favoured by the Bawumia camp failed to secure the regional chairmanship, raising questions about the extent of the flagbearer’s influence over the party’s delegates and regional structures ahead of the 2028 general election.
Dr. Bawumia won the NPP’s presidential primary with 56.48 per cent of the valid votes, securing 110,643 votes. His closest challenger, Kennedy Agyapong, obtained 23.76 per cent, while Dr. Bryan Acheampong received 18.53 per cent.
Although the result gave Dr. Bawumia the mandate to lead the party into the 2028 election, the margin also meant that a substantial proportion of the party’s delegates had supported candidates other than him.
The regional elections have now provided an early indication that the internal political divisions exposed during the presidential contest have not disappeared.
Greater Accra setback
The clearest indication of the difficulty facing the Bawumia camp came in Greater Accra, where Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye defeated Alfred Boye by a decisive margin.
Dr. Okoe-Boye secured 490 votes, while Alfred Boye obtained 172 votes, giving the former Health Minister a winning margin of 318 votes.
The contest attracted considerable attention because of the political affiliations of the two candidates and efforts by different groups within the NPP to influence the outcome.
Alfred Boye was regarded as the preferred choice of elements within the Bawumia camp, while Dr Okoe-Boye was not identified with the group seeking to place Bawumia-aligned candidates in control of the regional structures.
His emphatic victory, therefore, represents a significant rejection of that particular strategy.
The result is especially important given the importance of Greater Accra to the NPP’s prospects in 2028.
The party suffered a major electoral setback in the region in the 2024 general election, losing several parliamentary seats, and the new regional chairman will be responsible for leading efforts to rebuild the party’s organisation.
The delegates have consequently handed the regional structure to a chairman whose victory was achieved independently of the candidate reportedly preferred by the Bawumia camp.
Eastern delegates retain Konadu
The Eastern Region produced another setback for the attempt to change the political complexion of the regional leadership.
Jeff Konadu Addo was retained as Regional Chairman after polling 405 votes, defeating Kwadwo Boateng Agyemang, who secured 292 votes.
Konadu’s retention is politically significant because of his association with Dr. Bryan Acheampong, who contested Dr. Bawumia during the party’s presidential primary.
A victory for Mr. Agyemang would have been interpreted as a move towards strengthening the Bawumia camp’s influence in the region. Instead, delegates opted to retain the incumbent.
The result means that the Eastern Region will continue to be led by a chairman whose political network extends beyond the current flagbearer’s camp.
It is another indication that the presidential primary did not settle the question of political influence within the NPP.
Ashanti delivers decisive blow
The most significant setback came in the Ashanti Region, traditionally the NPP’s strongest electoral base.
Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, won the regional chairmanship with 663 votes, defeating Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, who obtained 269 votes. COKA therefore won by a margin of 394 votes.
The result is particularly noteworthy because of the strength of Dr Bawumia’s support in the region during the presidential primary.
The delegates who overwhelmingly backed him for the presidential nomination have now demonstrated that their choice of regional leadership is not necessarily determined by their preference for the presidential candidate.
That distinction could become important as the NPP prepares for 2028.
The Ashanti result also puts the spotlight on the role played by Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, the Member of Parliament for Effiduase-Asokore and a supporter of Dr Bawumia, in the debate over the composition of the party’s regional leadership.
Before the elections, Dr Afriyie argued that the party needed experienced executives at the constituency level but should ensure that its regional and national leadership was aligned with Dr Bawumia.
The results in the three regions suggest that delegates did not uniformly accept that approach.
Limits of Bawumia’s influence
The significance of the elections goes beyond the individual candidates who won or lost.
For Dr. Bawumia, the central issue is whether he can exercise effective political authority over a party whose regional structures are now headed by individuals who were not necessarily the preferred choices of his camp.
The results suggest that the answer is not straightforward.
The flagbearer controls the presidential ticket, but the regional elections have shown that he does not automatically control the delegates who determine the composition of the party’s regional leadership.
In Greater Accra, the delegates chose Okoe-Boye.
In the Eastern Region, they retained Konadu.
In Ashanti, they elected COKA by a substantial margin.
The three outcomes represent a significant challenge to any attempt to create a regional structure based primarily on loyalty to the flagbearer.
