Delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have approved a major constitutional amendment making the party’s flagbearer its leader, reversing an earlier provision that placed leadership in the hands of the National Chairman.
The amendment was among 14 constitutional changes approved by delegates at the party’s National Delegates Conference at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3.
The decision means the NPP’s presidential candidate will assume leadership of the party, including when the party is in opposition.
The change is particularly significant as the NPP prepares for the 2028 general election with former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as its flagbearer.
The amendment reverses a provision adopted at the party’s January 31, 2026 conference, which designated the National Chairman as the leader of the NPP at all material times.
Delegates, however, voted to overturn that arrangement and restore leadership of the party to the flagbearer.
The constitutional amendments were approved despite an earlier proposal by Acting National Chairman Joseph Danquah Smith to defer consideration of the changes to a subsequent conference.
Mr Smith had raised concerns over time constraints, arguing that delegates needed sufficient time to properly consider the proposed amendments while also participating in the election of national officers.
The party nevertheless proceeded with the constitutional review, with delegates approving all 14 motions presented by the Constitution Amendment Committee.
Beyond the leadership provision, delegates approved significant changes to the election of the party’s Vice Chairpersons.
Under the previous arrangement, candidates contested collectively, with the First, Second and Third Vice Chairpersons determined according to the number of votes received.
The amended constitution will require aspirants to declare and contest specific Vice Chairperson positions.
Delegates also approved the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons who will not be elected.
Other changes include the creation of Deputy Communications Officer positions and the elevation of the party’s IT Officer to an executive position as part of efforts to strengthen its organisational structure.
Chairman of the NPP Constitution Amendment Committee, Frank Davies, said the changes were necessary to address gaps identified in previous amendments to the party’s constitution.
“These limited constitutional amendments were necessitated by some acts of omission and commission, which heralded the last amendment we had in 2025, so this is to cure the grey areas that we overlooked,” he said.
Mr Davies said the amendments were critical to strengthening the party’s organisational machinery as it prepares for the 2028 elections.
“It is imperative that these amendments are carried through because of the ramifications they have for our party’s organisational structure,” he stated.
The constitutional review formed the first major part of the National Delegates Conference, which is also electing a new crop of national officers to steer the affairs of the NPP.
A total of 7,163 delegates from across the country were expected to participate in the conference, with the Electoral Commission supervising the national executive elections.
The conference forms part of the NPP’s internal reorganisation as the opposition party restructures its leadership and machinery ahead of the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections.
