New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua has denied suggestions that his previous electoral contest with John Boadu could create difficulties in their working relationship. Kodua made the clarification after John Boadu was elected National Chairman at the party's National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Boadu, a former General Secretary of the NPP, won the National Chairmanship with 2,888 votes.
Kodua was retained as General Secretary after securing 4,486 votes in the fiercely contested election. The emergence of Boadu as National Chairman has attracted attention due to his earlier contest with Kodua for the General Secretary position at the NPP's 2022 National Delegates Conference. Kodua prevailed in that contest, defeating Boadu and subsequently taking charge of the party's administrative machinery.
Addressing concerns that their previous rivalry could affect their ability to collaborate, Kodua maintained that neither politician had ever publicly declared an unwillingness to work with the other. "JB never stood anywhere and said that he cannot work with me. Likewise, I never stood anywhere and said I cannot work with JB," he said. Kodua stressed that both politicians were sufficiently experienced and politically mature to place the collective interests of the NPP above the outcome of their previous internal contest.
According to Kodua, speculation about possible tensions between the two men largely reflects the assumptions of outsiders rather than any actual disagreement between them. He emphasized that the party's focus should shift away from internal competition and towards rebuilding the party and positioning it for the 2028 general election. The NPP begins a fresh organisational phase under a new national executive team following the party's latest internal elections.
Kodua and Boadu secured their positions in a fiercely contested election. Boadu defeated former Energy Minister Boakye Kyerematen Agyarko, who obtained 2,408 votes, while former National Chairman Paul Afoko received 790 votes. Kodua retained the General Secretary position with a commanding 4,486 votes, ahead of Sylvester Tetteh, who obtained 1,340 votes.
With the leadership contest now concluded, Kodua said the attention of the newly constituted executive should focus on supporting the party's presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in the next presidential contest. "We all have a common agenda, which is to make Dr Mahamudu Bawumia the president of Ghana in 2029. And we are focused," he added. Kodua expressed confidence that Boadu and the newly elected national executives would establish an effective working relationship with the General Secretary's office.
The new executive team is expected to oversee the NPP's organisational and political activities for the next four years, with the party seeking to rebuild its structures and regain political power in the 2028 general election. Boadu, in his acceptance speech, called for unity within the party and extended an invitation for cooperation to his fellow contestants, signalling an emphasis on collective action as the NPP begins its preparations for the next electoral cycle.
Key points
- Justin Kodua and John Boadu have pledged to work together despite their previous electoral contest.
- The NPP's new national executive team will focus on rebuilding the party and positioning it for the 2028 general election.
- The party's presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will be supported by the new leadership in the next presidential contest.
