The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced plans to convene all declared presidential aspirants for a joint dialogue with the party’s Steering Committee and National Council of Elders on July 3, 2025.

According to a statement from its Accra headquarters, the initiative seeks to promote unity and alignment among aspirants ahead of the party’s presidential primaries. The meeting will address “matters of mutual interest,” as leadership looks to tackle increasing concerns about factionalism and breaches of party rules.

The statement also revealed that Bono Regional Chairman, Mr. Kwame Baffoe—known popularly as Abronye—has been referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for allegedly violating a directive from the National Council through unguarded public remarks.

Additionally, the NPP has ordered an immediate halt to all informal caucuses and associations comprising current or former executives and government appointees who hold meetings with presidential aspirants in defiance of party guidelines.

General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong stressed the party’s constitutional obligation for members to uphold unity, respect decisions, and avoid actions that could undermine internal cohesion.

Kennedy Agyapong, a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on party leaders to address deep-seated internal divisions and rebuild grassroots structures before selecting a presidential candidate for the 2028 elections.

Speaking to constituency chairmen in Kumasi on Saturday, June 21, 2025, Mr. Agyapong emphasized that unresolved issues stemming from the party’s 2024 election defeat must be tackled before launching any credible campaign.

“Our system from the polling station up to the national level is sound. The problem lies in the internal challenges we have created,” he said.

“If we do not address these underlying problems, we could nominate the best candidate and it still won’t matter,” he warned.

Mr. Agyapong noted that a post-election report led by former Speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Oquaye had been submitted, but that most members still don’t fully understand the causes of the defeat.

“All we know is that Professor Oquaye mentioned expansion. But is expansion the only reason we lost? We still do not understand what went wrong,” he stated.

He cautioned that rushing into a flagbearer contest without first fixing these cracks would worsen the party’s internal strife, especially the increasing culture of arbitrary exclusions.

“Someone might look at you and say, ‘You are not supporting me, so you are out.’ That pattern must stop,” he insisted.

Mr. Agyapong, who contested the party’s 2023 flagbearer race and remains a key contender for 2028, pledged to personally help raise up to $7 million to support grassroots organisation if the party agrees to reform its structures.

“I don’t care if I personally lack funds. With one phone call, I can secure $7 million to help organise the party from the bottom up and make sure we do things properly,” he assured.

He also urged constituency chairmen to put the party’s interests ahead of personal ambitions, stating that rebuilding public trust will require credible polling station elections and genuine internal reform.

President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to curb unnecessary public expenditure by banning all offices within the Jubilee House, Ghana’s presidential seat, from subscribing to DStv or any other satellite television service has been received positively within political circles.

According to Mr. Felix Ofosu Kwakye, “You would say that is a trivial matter, but he has done that. Because when you computed the cost, it was significant money.”

While the move may seem minor from a purely political or fiscal standpoint, my perspective shifts quickly beyond politics. I see a golden opportunity for local content creators to step up and push more homegrown content onto our television screens.

As Mr. Ofosu Kwakye emphasised, “The ban confines television at the Jubilee House to local channels only.” This means local stations must now rise to the challenge—offering engaging, relevant, and high-quality programming. It’s a direct call to the creative minds in Ghana’s orange economy.

This development, though easily dismissed as trivial, is far from insignificant. Think about it: if previously, hours of television consumed within government agencies were dominated by foreign content, and now those same hours must be filled with local programming, that’s a considerable shift in media consumption.

If local channels produce compelling content that captures attention, they will not only win over civil servants during office hours but also potentially retain those viewers at home, too. It’s a ripple effect.

Imagine the number of government workers, civil servants, and public officials who will now have no choice but to tune in to local content. It’s a massive boost for local media, and one that should energise all stakeholders to be innovative and strategic.

Moreover, this move should encourage ministries and relevant government agencies to support and invest in content that reflects our own stories, values, and identity, dethroning the foreign-dominated programming that currently fills too much of our airtime.

Our creative sector must seize this opportunity with boldness and urgency. It is time to push for policies, funding, and platforms that promote Ghanaian content. We must stop playing second fiddle in our own media space.

Unfortunately, many local stations continue to prioritise foreign content over Ghanaian productions. But this ban offers a moment of reset, a moment that creatives must exploit.

Let us rise. Let us be daring. Let us use this policy shift as a catalyst to grow our content, strengthen our industry, and reclaim our space on Ghana’s screens.

Kojo Preko Dankwa
FOCAP President
Host, Kessben Maakye
Kessben FM 92.9, Accra
Kessben TV