News
Hawa Koomson elected NPP National Women’s Organiser
Former Awutu Senya East Member of Parliament, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has been elected the National Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
She secured 738 votes to defeat her main contender, Mohammed Safia, who polled 429 votes in the election held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
The election formed part of the NPP’s National Delegates Conference, which brought together delegates from across the country to elect new national executives for the party.
The conference was characterised by a colourful display of the NPP’s red, white and blue colours, with party supporters and delegates filling the stadium ahead of the various elections.
Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was among the prominent personalities who attended the delegates conference ahead of the elections.
Following the declaration of the results, Hawa Koomson moved around the stadium with some of her supporters, thanking delegates for voting for her and expressing confidence in her ability to lead the party’s women’s wing.
Speaking after her victory, Hawa Koomson said she would bring her experience and maturity to the position and work to strengthen the party’s women’s structures.
She indicated that she would work with her former contender, Mohammed Safia, despite the competition between them during the election.
“We are all NPP members and we are going to work together for victory,” she said.
According to her, her immediate task would be to unite the women of the party and mobilise them to contribute effectively to the NPP’s activities at the grassroots and national levels.
She called for greater support and solidarity among women, and recounted an experience in which she said another woman helped save her life after she was attacked.
Using the experience, Mrs Koomson urged women to have one another’s backs, stressing that women should be ready to support and defend each other.
The former MP spoke about her political journey and her return to a national leadership position after losing the Awutu Senya East parliamentary seat.
She said she had never regarded her political journey as a failure and was proud to have reached the national level to serve the party.
Mrs Koomson said her decision to contest the National Women’s Organiser position was driven by her desire to continue contributing to the NPP and use her experience to support the party.
Hawa Koomson explained the need for women to protect themselves, including the use of pepper spray as a means of self-defence when faced with danger.
She encouraged women to support and defend one another, drawing from her own experience of being attacked and helped by another woman who intervened to save her.
As National Women’s Organiser, she will be responsible for coordinating and mobilising women across the party, strengthening the women’s wing at the constituency and regional levels, and increasing their participation in party activities.
She is expected to work closely with the newly elected national executives to strengthen the party’s structures and prepare its women’s wing for the party’s future political activities.
Mrs Koomson thanked the delegates for the confidence they had placed in her and pledged to work with members of the party as she begins her new role.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opened applications for members interested in contesting as its parliamentary candidates in the 2028 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the party said interested members must declare their intention to contest between Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
According to the statement signed by the party’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, prospective candidates must complete an online form within the specified period.
The party said a non-refundable application fee of GH¢5,000 would be charged to each prospective candidate.
It added that all applicants would undergo vetting and screening to determine their eligibility to contest on the party’s ticket.
The NPP announced plans to organise capacity-building workshops for prospective candidates in December 2026. The workshops will be held across the Northern, Middle and Southern zones, with details of the venues to be announced later.
The party stressed that the guidelines would apply to all prospective candidates, including sitting NPP Members of Parliament who wish to contest again.
It further warned aspirants against starting campaign activities following the opening of the application process.
According to the statement, the existing directive prohibiting campaign activities remains in force until the party gives official clearance.
It cautioned that anyone who violates the directive would face appropriate sanctions under the party’s constitution and regulations.
The NPP said the process was designed to promote fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all aspirants as it prepares to select candidates for all 276 constituencies ahead of the 2028 elections.
It urged prospective candidates to follow the guidelines and conduct themselves with discipline and respect for one another throughout the process.
The party said its broader objective was to strengthen unity within its ranks and rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
eputy Foreign Minister accompanies Veep to Shanghai to champion Global South reform, industrial drive
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, accompanied Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on a successful working visit to Shanghai, China, from 15th to 19th October 2026, at the invitation of the East China Normal University (ECNU).
The highlight of the visit was the 2026 Global South Academic Forum held on 17th October, which brought together over 200 scholars, policymakers, political party leaders and media professionals from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation.”
In her keynote address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang asserted that political independence is only truly the beginning, stating that “winning political power and governing effectively are related but not the same responsibility.” She called for stronger South-South cooperation, multilateralism and reform of the global financial architecture to end debt traps, ensure fair risk assessments and promote climate policies that respect different national circumstances.
On 18th October, she addressed a business forum with Chinese investors, linking Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy policy to industrialization. Warning that training youth without factories creates unemployment, she appealed for factories to be established in Ghana to serve the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market, with priority on value addition in cocoa processing, shea butter, cashew, coconut and timber.
On October 19, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, hosted a dinner at the Shangri-La for the Vice-President, attended by members of the Ghanaian community and business leaders, who praised the thorough preparation by the Ghana Embassy staff for the visit.
Throughout the trip, Mr. Quayson coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to align the engagements with Ghana’s jobs and transformation agenda.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
