I wonder what campaign message the NPP will use in 2028

As Ghana moves towards the 2028 general elections, one question worth asking is what message the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will present to convince voters to give it another opportunity to govern.

The party, led into the next election by former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, faces the challenge of turning its criticism of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) into a convincing vision for Ghana’s future.

Will the NPP campaign on the economy, job creation, the cost of living, corruption, illegal mining or what it considers the government’s broken promises? Or will it focus on explaining what it has learnt from its own time in office and why Ghanaians should trust it again?

The party has already signalled some priorities. Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has said the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, will form a central part of its 2028 campaign narrative.

Dr Bawumia has also criticised the NDC government’s proposed 24-hour economy, arguing that it has not delivered the promised jobs. He has indicated that the NPP intends to campaign on practical, costed ideas that it believes it can implement.

But identifying issues to campaign on is only part of the challenge. The bigger question is whether the party can present a coherent message that addresses voters’ concerns while convincingly explaining its own record in government.

Ghanaians will likely want more than accusations against the NDC. They will want clear answers on how the NPP plans to create jobs, improve incomes, strengthen public services, tackle illegal mining and manage the economy differently.

The party must also demonstrate that it has learnt lessons from its 2024 electoral defeat and can offer credible solutions rather than simply promise a return to power.

For Dr Bawumia and the NPP, the task is therefore not merely to identify the government’s weaknesses. It is to persuade voters that the party has a better plan, a credible team and the discipline to deliver on its promises.

So, what exactly will the NPP’s campaign message be in 2028? Will it be a campaign built around the government’s shortcomings, or one centred on a clear alternative vision for Ghana?

That is a question the party’s leadership must answer convincingly long before the campaign reaches its peak.