Ghanaian politician and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has argued that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must prioritize wartime leaders rather than peacetime leaders as it reorganizes in opposition following its December 2024 electoral defeat.
Speaking on Lawson TV, Boakye Antwi said the party has entered a critical phase that requires strong, battle tested leadership with integrity, not leadership chosen on the basis of personal relationships or familiarity. He stated that the party now needs men of integrity, and that is very important when in opposition, emphasizing the heightened scrutiny and challenges political parties face when out of power.
Distinguishing leadership styles, Boakye Antwi explained that different political moments demand different kinds of leaders. He stated that there are wartime leaders and peacetime leaders, adding that currently the party is in wartime, so the NPP needs wartime leaders, not just anyone. The military metaphor suggests that opposition politics requires combative, strategic, resilient leadership qualities distinct from those suited to governing periods when parties control state resources and institutional power.
Boakye Antwi stressed that the NPP’s current situation is too serious to be treated lightly, warning against complacency and internal favoritism. He cautioned that where the party stands is not child’s play, adding that it needs leaders who will be respected both within the party and by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), warning that if such men are not found, then the party is joking. His emphasis on earning respect from the governing NDC suggests recognition that effective opposition requires credibility beyond partisan bases.
The former MP further criticized the tendency to elect party leaders based on family ties, friendships, or past personal assistance, noting that such considerations should not determine leadership choices. He observed that everyone has been helped by someone at some point, and people have also helped others, but that should not be the basis for electing leaders in the party. This critique appears aimed at what he perceives as nepotistic or transactional approaches to leadership selection that prioritize loyalty over capability.
Boakye Antwi’s intervention arrives as the NPP prepares for internal elections to select new leadership following the party’s electoral defeat. The NPP lost the December 7, 2024 presidential election with its candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia securing approximately 41 percent of the vote compared to President John Dramani Mahama’s 56 percent. The party also lost its parliamentary majority, dropping from 137 seats in the Eighth Parliament to 88 seats in the Ninth Parliament, marking a dramatic reversal of political fortunes.
The former Subin MP himself is a candidate for the NPP General Secretary position, a key administrative and organizational role within the party structure. In November 2025, Boakye Antwi announced his candidacy, stating that the next phase of the party’s development required strategic reorganization, principled leadership, and renewed unity. He described the NPP as having reached a defining moment in its history, cautioning that the party cannot afford to run a 21st century political movement with outdated operational methods.
His vision emphasizes digitizing, decentralizing, and democratizing party machinery so that every constituency feels empowered and connected. Boakye Antwi has portrayed himself as seeking the General Secretary position not for personal gain but to serve, building structures that outlast individuals and ensuring that the NPP remains Ghana’s most credible and visionary political tradition. His campaign message centers on unity, renewal, and service, aiming to restore the party’s organizational discipline and moral compass ahead of future electoral challenges.
Boakye Antwi has been vocal about accountability issues affecting the NPP’s reputation. In January 2026, he criticized former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta over his continued absence from Ghana despite ongoing state investigations, arguing that the former minister’s failure to return and respond to allegations damages the party’s image and creates public perceptions that NPP members are corrupt. He questioned rhetorically whether anyone has ever seen a political party leave government and its finance minister cannot be found, noting that it has been one year since Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng started mentioning Ken Ofori Atta’s name.
The former MP stated that the situation creates perceptions that the NPP is a criminal party, a narrative harmful not only to party members but to the wider Ghanaian public. He expressed concern that Ghanaians not affiliated with the party are closely observing developments and drawing negative conclusions. While stating he was not happy about Ofori Atta’s reported detention by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Boakye Antwi emphasized his position focuses on accountability rather than persecution.
Earlier in 2025, Boakye Antwi advised the NPP to adopt a disciplined approach to regain power in 2028. Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV on April 23, 2025, he emphasized the need for the party to work with discipline, data, and direction. He cautioned against mirroring the opposition’s processes and advocated for a strategic approach to the 2028 election, stating that the party must work for the election as it will not be handed to them.
Boakye Antwi stressed that party unity is crucial and urged members to embrace reform exercises, warning that unity must be established as it is key to success. He criticized what he described as a you do me, I do you mentality as unnecessary, cautioning that utterances must be scrutinized because preaching unity while practicing extraction will not work. These comments reflected concern about internal divisions and retaliatory politics undermining collective party interests.
The former MP also shared candid views regarding President John Dramani Mahama’s administration during an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face show on July 1, 2025. Boakye Antwi explicitly stated that he does not wish to see President Mahama succeed in office, stressing that his primary hope is for the NPP to reclaim power in the 2028 general elections. While clarifying he does not want Ghana as a nation to fail, he explained he nonetheless hopes President Mahama’s government proves unsuccessful because he remains unconvinced that the NDC possesses competence to effectively deliver on its mandate.
Boakye Antwi stated he wants Mahama to fail in the sense that he wants his party to win the 2028 elections, though he clarified he doesn’t want failure in absolute terms but knows that NDC cannot do much in terms of what they promised. His skepticism about the NDC’s capacity to manage the economy effectively informed his position. He suggested that appointees sometimes undermine presidential performance, noting that the kind of things he saw when NPP was in government involved Ghanaians who would transfer the same behaviors to the NDC.
These various statements from Boakye Antwi over recent months illustrate his positioning as an NPP reformer focused on accountability, organizational discipline, and strategic thinking. His criticism of nepotism and favoritism in leadership selection, emphasis on integrity and respect, and military framed distinction between wartime and peacetime leadership all contribute to a narrative positioning himself as representing change from practices he suggests contributed to NPP’s electoral defeat.
However, whether Boakye Antwi’s message resonates with NPP delegates who will select the next General Secretary remains to be seen. Party leadership elections often involve complex calculations balancing ideological alignment, regional representation, factional loyalties, personal relationships, and assessments of electability. His explicit criticism of selecting leaders based on personal assistance or family ties challenges patterns deeply embedded in Ghanaian political culture where patron client relationships and reciprocal obligations significantly influence political advancement.
The concept of wartime versus peacetime leadership itself carries risks. While the metaphor effectively communicates urgency and the need for combative opposition capabilities, it could be interpreted as advocating confrontational rather than constructive engagement, potentially alienating moderate voters. Effective opposition requires balancing holding government accountable through vigorous criticism with demonstrating capacity for responsible governance through constructive policy alternatives.
Other NPP figures have offered competing visions for the party’s future direction. Some emphasize grassroots mobilization and organizational strengthening at constituency levels. Others prioritize policy development and ideological clarity distinguishing NPP from NDC. Still others focus on communications strategies and media engagement. Internal debates about whether the party lost due to messaging failures, policy unpopularity, corruption perceptions, economic mismanagement, or candidate selection reflect competing diagnoses informing different prescriptions for recovery.
The NPP’s reorganization occurs amid broader questions about the party’s identity and future trajectory. Founded on principles of property owning democracy and economic liberalism, the NPP has evolved through multiple iterations since the Danquah Busia Dombo tradition crystallized into formal party structures. Recent electoral defeats in 2008, 2012, and now 2024, interspersed with victories in 2000, 2004, 2016, and 2020, demonstrate the party’s capacity for both governing competence and electoral vulnerability.
As delegates prepare to select new leadership, they face choices about whether to favor continuity or change, experience or fresh perspectives, conciliatory or combative approaches, centralized or decentralized structures. Boakye Antwi’s wartime leaders framework offers one lens through which to evaluate candidates, but delegates will weigh multiple factors including regional balance, factional alignments, fundraising capacity, and personal connections when making final decisions.
Whether his military metaphor proves persuasive or his integrity emphasis resonates sufficiently to secure the General Secretary position, Boakye Antwi has established himself as a significant voice in NPP’s post 2024 conversations about renewal and reform. His willingness to criticize practices he views as undermining party effectiveness, even at risk of alienating powerful factions, demonstrates either principled courage or political calculation that reformist credentials enhance candidacy appeal, depending on perspective.
