“Justin Kodua is the weakest General Secretary we’ve had so far” – Sylvester Tetteh

New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary hopeful Sylvester Tetteh has criticised the performance of the party’s incumbent General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, describing his tenure as the weakest in the history of the party.

Mr Tetteh said the NPP needed a major change in its approach to rebuild its structures and regain its strength ahead of the 2028 general elections, particularly following its defeat in the 2024 polls.

Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV, the former Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfrom MP said Mr Kodua would eventually be required to account for his stewardship when his tenure comes to an end.

He questioned the state of the party’s organisational structures under the current leadership and called for a comprehensive restructuring exercise starting from the polling-station level and extending through the constituency and regional structures to the national level.

Mr Tetteh cited John Boadu’s tenure as Acting General Secretary ahead of the 2016 elections as an example of how effective party organisation could contribute to electoral performance.

The NPP won 169 parliamentary seats in the 2016 elections during that period, giving the party a majority in Parliament.

According to Mr Tetteh, the experience demonstrates the importance of strong organisational leadership and reinforces the need for the party to elect leaders capable of identifying and addressing its current challenges.

“We need wartime generals at this time,” he said, arguing that the NPP requires leaders prepared to undertake the difficult work of rebuilding its structures and reconnecting with the grassroots.

Mr Tetteh also pointed to his own experience within the party, from the grassroots to the national level, as an advantage in his bid to reorganise the NPP ahead of the next national executive elections.

He said the priority should be to restore the effectiveness of the party’s structures and establish an organisation capable of confronting the political challenges ahead.