Newly elected NPP Third Vice Chairperson Nana Akomea has revealed that he ignored opinion polls ahead of the party's national executive elections. According to Akomea, direct engagement with delegates gave candidates a better opportunity to assess their chances. He stated that the NPP election was different from a national election, where candidates cannot personally engage millions of voters. Akomea's comments come after he finished third in the election.
Akomea highlighted the differences between the NPP election and a national election. He noted that in a national election, candidates cannot meet millions of voters directly, whereas in the NPP election, candidates were able to meet delegates directly in relatively small groups. This allowed them to assess their reactions to their messages. Akomea also cautioned candidates against letting campaign paraphernalia distract them from engaging with delegates.
Nana Akomea emphasized the importance of direct interaction with delegates. He stated that it allowed candidates to determine whether their messages were resonating with the delegates. Akomea also noted that the direct interaction helped him to gauge his chances of winning the election. Despite his confidence, Akomea finished third in the election, a result he admitted was not what he expected.
Akomea expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the election. He noted that the race was extremely close among the leading candidates, with the top four candidates receiving similar numbers of votes. Akomea attributed Kojo Bamba's campaign message as a key factor in the result. Bamba's message was centered on protecting delegates and the electoral process.
According to Akomea, several leading candidates had largely similar campaign messages centered on experience and years of service to the party. However, Bamba presented himself as someone who would focus on protecting delegates and the electoral process. Akomea noted that Bamba's message was clever and resonated with the delegates.
Nana Akomea reflected on the lessons learned from the election. He cautioned candidates against relying solely on campaign paraphernalia and emphasized the importance of engaging with delegates directly. Akomea also noted that the NPP party would need to deliberately select candidates for orphan constituencies ahead of the 2028 election.
Finally, Akomea discussed the NPP party's plans for the future. He stated that the party wants early profiling of parliamentary candidates to avoid costly campaigns. Akomea also noted that the party has secured the 'blessing of time' for the 2028 election. The party is committed to addressing the concerns of its members and delegates.
Key points
- Nana Akomea ignored opinion polls ahead of the NPP election, relying on direct engagement with delegates to assess his chances.
- Akomea finished third in the election, a result he attributed to Kojo Bamba's clever campaign message.
- The NPP party plans to deliberately select candidates for orphan constituencies and implement early profiling of parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2028 election.
