The battle before the battle: What Party elections could mean for NPP and NDC in 2028
Long before Ghana goes to the polls in 2028, the real battle will already be underway, inside the parties themselves. For the NPP and NDC, national and regional executive elections are more than contests for party positions. They are a glimpse into who controls the grassroots, which factions are gaining influence and what direction the parties may take into their respective flagbearership contests.
The people elected to these positions will have a significant say in mobilisation, messaging and the political machinery that eventually supports a presidential candidate. That makes internal elections a potential early indicator of the shape of the flagbearership race.
A candidate who builds strong relationships with regional and national executives could enter the presidential contest with a formidable grassroots network. Conversely, a candidate who finds themselves isolated from the party’s structures could face an uphill battle, regardless of personal popularity. But there is a danger in turning party structures into vehicles for individual ambitions.
When internal elections become proxy battles for future flagbearership contests, factions can emerge, loyalties can harden and the party can become divided long before the presidential primaries begin. And there is another lesson: winning the internal battle does not guarantee winning the national one. Party members who feel excluded or dissatisfied with the choice of executives or presidential candidates can respond by withdrawing their support, refusing to campaign or, in the most damaging scenario, refusing to vote.
The NPP and NDC must therefore look beyond who wins each internal contest. They must ask what the results reveal about the mood of their grassroots. Who is gaining influence? Who is losing it? Which candidates are building bridges, and which are creating divisions? If these questions are ignored, the parties may win their internal elections only to discover that they have weakened themselves for the bigger contest ahead.
The 2028 election will ultimately be fought between parties, but the foundations of that battle are being laid inside the NPP and NDC right now.
Consequently, the smartest party will not simply count its winners. It will listen to what the entire ballot is saying. The warning signs will come long before 2028. The question is whether Ghana’s two major parties will have the humility to read them.
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