The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has dismissed the outcome of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) national executive elections, insisting that the newly elected leadership will not alter its preparations or political strategy ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The NDC’s Deputy Director of Elections and Information Technology, Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, said the party remains confident in its own organisational structures and leadership selection process and will focus on electing leaders capable of advancing its agenda ahead of the next presidential and parliamentary elections.
Speaking in a media interview after the NPP elections on Saturday, October 3, Tanko-Computer said the NPP had failed to produce the kind of national executives he expected and argued that the outcome of the elections did not present a significant challenge to the NDC.
According to him, the NDC had anticipated that the NPP would emerge from its national executive elections with a leadership team capable of mounting a stronger challenge in 2028.
He, however, said the composition of the NPP’s new executive team did not meet that expectation.
“They have missed a glorious opportunity to give us a run for our money because the kind of officers I was expecting them to bring, they didn’t. This will not even impact anything due to the way we choose our leaders,” he said.
“We have a style of choosing our leaders, and you saw how we did it in 2022 and then when we were going into the 2024 election,” Tanko-Computer added.
A Referendum on Leadership
Tanko-Computer also sought to draw a comparison between the newly elected NPP executives and the party’s current national officers, arguing that he believed Ghanaians would favour the NDC if presented with a direct choice between the two political organisations.
“Even currently, if you look at the officers that they have elected and our national officers currently, put them side by side and ask Ghanaians to vote for a party that will mean business and that will bring something on the table for them, and they will definitely go for the NDC,” he said.
His comments come after the NPP completed its national executive elections at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, with the party’s new leadership now expected to begin preparations towards the 2028 elections.
The NPP’s New Leadership
John Boadu, a former General Secretary of the NPP, staged a remarkable political comeback to win the National Chairmanship, polling 2,888 votes to defeat his closest contender, Boakye Kyerematen Agyarko, who obtained 2,408 votes. Paul Afoko polled 790 votes, while Sammy Crabbe secured 41 votes.
Justin Kodua Frimpong retained his position as General Secretary, recording the highest number of votes among all contestants with 4,486 votes. Other elected executives include Kwadwo Fosu Boadu as First Vice Chairman, Henry Nana Boakye as Second Vice Chairman, Nana Akomea as Third Vice Chairman, Alfred Kwadwo Thompson as National Treasurer, and Daniel Titus Glover as National Organiser. Mavis Hawa Koomson is the new National Women’s Organiser.
Boadu’s victory marks a dramatic turnaround for a man who lost his bid for re-election as General Secretary in 2022 to Justin Frimpong Kodua. His return to the party’s top administrative role has been described by some political observers as a significant comeback.
The NDC’s Contrasting Path
Tanko-Computer’s reference to the NDC’s 2022 leadership election highlights a contrasting approach to internal party democracy. At the NDC’s 10th National Delegates Congress held at the Accra Sports Stadium in December 2022, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as “General Mosquito,” secured a landslide victory to become National Chairman, polling 5,569 votes to defeat the incumbent, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who received 2,892 votes.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey also won the General Secretary position with 4,543 votes, defeating Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah. The congress was widely praised for its organisation and the peaceful conduct of the elections.
Tanko-Computer argued that this process of choosing leaders based on competence and grassroots appeal gives the NDC a distinct advantage over the NPP’s more contentious internal elections.
Who is Tanko-Computer?
Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer is a seasoned public administrator and politician who brings a rich background in governance, technology, and education to his role. He holds a PhD in Public Administration from Kingsnow University in the United States, as well as MSc degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Before his political career, Tanko-Computer was an IT lecturer. He earned the nickname “Computer” during his school days, a moniker given to him by his mathematics teacher in recognition of his extraordinary talent in the classroom. His career path took him from pure science into IT lecturing and eventually into the strategic hub of the NDC’s election directorate.
In February 2025, President John Dramani Mahama appointed him as the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).
The 2028 Political Landscape
The NDC goes into the 2028 general elections as the incumbent party, with President John Dramani Mahama serving his final term. Analysts have outlined potential NDC roadmaps for 2028, emphasising grassroots network strengthening, policy think-tank relaunch, and brand repositioning.
The NPP, meanwhile, faces what some political scientists describe as a tougher task in reclaiming power. Dr. Kwasi Amakye-Boateng of the University of Ghana has argued that the NPP faces a more challenging path in 2028 amid improvements in Ghana’s economy under the Mahama administration.
NPP Flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has himself cautioned the party that recapturing power in 2028 will demand considerably more than internal reorganisation, describing the task as “not easy”.
‘Not Ready for 2028’
Tanko-Computer’s assessment of the NPP’s new leadership is consistent with his earlier public statements. In February 2026, he questioned Bawumia’s ability to win the 2028 general elections following the NPP flagbearer’s 56 percent primary win. He has also predicted that if the NPP manages even 30 percent of the votes in 2028, “they’ve tried”.
His latest remarks reinforce the NDC’s confidence as it prepares for a contest it believes it is well-positioned to win.
A Party in Waiting
For the NPP, the election of John Boadu and a largely retained executive team represents an effort to project stability and continuity. But as Tanko-Computer’s comments suggest, the NDC views the NPP’s internal leadership choices as a sign of weakness rather than strength.
Whether that assessment holds will become clearer as both parties intensify their preparations for the 2028 elections. For now, the NDC is signalling that it will not be distracted by the opposition’s internal affairs — and that its focus remains squarely on maintaining power.
As Tanko-Computer put it: “We have a style of choosing our leaders, and you saw how we did it in 2022 and then when we were going into the 2024 election”.
The message to the NPP is clear: the NDC is not worried.
