I warmly congratulate the newly elected Regional Executives of the New Patriotic Party in the Northern Region. Your election is a victory for the entire NPP family across all 18 constituencies in the region, not for individuals alone.
To the distinguished patriots who contested and did not succeed this time, I say better luck next time. Your decision to offer yourselves for service is itself an act of commitment. I encourage you to generously share the expertise, ideas, networks, and energy you would have brought to office with the elected team. The party cannot afford to waste talent. Your experience remains a strategic asset for our collective work ahead of 2028.
THE MANDATE: SERVE THE PARTY, NOT CAMPS
The first and most important task for the new executives is to internalize why you were elected and what the Constitution expects of you.
Article 7(1) charges every member to “defend and promote the ideals of the Party” and to “work for the unity of the Party.” That unity cannot be achieved when the Regional Secretariat operates as two rival camps with a “room of loyalty” instead of a boardroom of ideas, as we witnessed in the past.
Friendship among executives is natural, but the party requires working partners rather than political cliques. The Northern Region NPP cannot afford a veto-style administration where decisions are made by a few, or a culture of praise-singing designed to please personalities rather than advance policy.
What we need is a structured, lead-down, team-based approach as envisioned under Article 11, which outlines the Regional Executive Committee. Every officer must know their portfolio, respect the chain of command at the National, Regional, Constituency, Electoral Area, and Polling Station levels, and commit to strengthening the base. The focus must be on service delivery to the party, not on personal empire-building.
TAP INTO THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS
The wisdom of our former Regional Executives, Hon. Members of Parliament, Council of Elders, and Council of Patrons must be deliberately tapped. Article 14 establishes these bodies precisely to “advise the Party on matters of policy” and provide institutional memory. Many of them have faced the same challenges as we have and have lessons that can save us time and resources.
Equally, we must open the door to well-meaning experts from academia, business, civil society, and the grassroots. Personal interest must never override collective interest.
Having served the party in the past as a former TESCON Executive, Regional Communications Team Member, Secretary to the Regional Youth Committee, and with various special groups, my little experience tells me that when personal interest goes beyond collective interest, we should all prepare for doom.
REGIONAL APPOINTMENTS:
PRIORITIZE QUALIFICATIONS OVER FRIENDSHIPS
The Constitution, under Article 11(5), empowers the Regional Executive Committee to appoint Deputy Regional Officers and other persons to assist in the work of the Region. This is a critical and defining phase.
Leadership must focus on competence, character, and commitment, not convenience or personal relationships. We must avoid the temptation to appoint people we know, deep down, cannot deliver, simply because we like them or they are good at praise-singing.
APPOINTMENT OF REGIONAL RESEARCH OFFICER: Research is the backbone of modern political strategy and development. It is not a job for anyone who can read and write.
We need someone who understands data, can analyze voter trends, and can translate figures into a political message for each of the 18 constituencies. A credible research report should tell leadership: what the issues are, who the voters are, and what message wins.
The party should look to our tertiary institutions, Tamale Technical University and the University for Development Studies. We have NPP-leaning academics there who are loyal to the cause and possess the technical capacity. Appointing from there will prevent a situation where, out of excitement, someone quotes numbers and sits with zero data, and leadership is expected to act on it.
DEPUTY REGIONAL ORGANIZER, DEPUTY YOUTH ORGANIZER, DEPUTY WOMEN ORGANIZER & DEPUTY NASARA COORDINATOR
In the last few years in the Northern Region, these appointments have not yielded the desired impact. Many were appointed based on relationships rather than competence. The result: some could not be traced to any work, others did not understand their responsibilities, and in most cases they ended up running personal errands for their “boss”
The new leadership must look beyond relationships. Appoint deputies who will mobilize, organize, and add real value. The party deserves officers who will work.
PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWD) COORDINATOR
This is one of the most sensitive appointments and requires serious scrutiny. I have worked with the PWD community in the past, and I can attest that this is a group that can make or unmake you.
The moment they speak, the nation listens because of the conditions they find themselves in, by Allah’s will.
In selecting a PWD Coordinator, we must emphasize:
* Character and empathy- someone who truly understands their plight.
* Advocacy skills- someone who can articulate their needs to government and party.
* Grassroots presence – someone who lives with the community and can mobilize them.
This is not a symbolic or token appointment. It is a strategic position that can deliver votes, goodwill, and dignity to the party if handled properly.
A HUMBLE APPEAL
I humbly appeal to our Hon. Members of Parliament, the Council of Elders, Council of Patrons, and former Regional Executives to take keen interest in the appointment process.
To the new Regional Executives: per Article 11(3), which makes the REC responsible for coordinating party activities in the region, please consult widely before making decisions. This should not be a veto appointment in which individuals are brought in to serve personal interests rather than the general interests of the Executive Board and the party.
The Northern Region is diverse. What works in Tamale Metropolis may not work in Karaga, Yendi, or Bunkpurugu. Broad consultation will save us from avoidable mistakes.
The NPP in the Northern Region stands at a defining moment. We can choose unity, competence, and strategy, or we can repeat the mistakes of the past.
The grassroots are watching. The people are waiting. And 2028 begins now.
May Allah grant our new leaders wisdom, and may the NPP in the Northern Region rise stronger together.
