Former Volta Regional Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Emmanuel Korsi Bodja, says the party must first heal from the wounds of its 2024 electoral defeat and rebuild confidence among its members if it is to reclaim power in 2028.

According to Mr Bodja, the NPP’s challenges go beyond changes to its leadership structure, requiring a broader psychological and organisational reset to restore unity, reconnect with voters and strengthen the party’s grassroots base.

He made the remarks in Ho in the Volta Region when he officially launched his campaign to contest the NPP’s National Organiser position ahead of the party’s national elections scheduled for October 2026.

The campaign launch brought together party supporters, constituency executives and other members of the NPP as the party continues its internal reorganisation ahead of the 2028 general election.

Mr Bodja said the outcome of the ongoing internal elections would be critical to the party’s rebuilding process, warning that the elections could either deepen existing divisions or provide the foundation for renewed unity.

He said both winners and losers of the internal contests needed to heal from the impact of the 2024 defeat.

“Those who have lost and those who have won, all of them need healing,” he stressed.

Mr Bodja said the healing process should go beyond resolving internal disagreements and should involve a change in the mindset and conduct of party members.

He said some members were yet to fully come to terms with the NPP’s current position as an opposition party.

“We are not in government; we are in opposition,” he said.

He argued that this reality must shape how the party communicates, engages voters, and mobilises support at the grassroots.

For Mr Bodja, the NPP’s return to power cannot be achieved through national messaging alone but must begin with rebuilding its structures and restoring the confidence of ordinary members who form the foundation of the party’s electoral machinery.

He said the party must adopt a more voter-focused approach and strengthen its engagement with communities rather than operate with the mindset of a governing party.

Mr Bodja is presenting his years of grassroots mobilisation and party administration as a key reason delegates should support his bid for the National Organiser position.

He described himself as a career organiser who has served at various levels of the NPP, from the polling station and constituency structures to the regional and national levels.

He said he had spent about 12 years at the regional level, serving as Regional Research and Elections Officer and Regional Organiser, a position he held on two occasions.

He also cited his role as Dean of Regional Organisers and membership of the party’s council among the experiences that, he believes, have given him an understanding of the organisational challenges confronting the NPP.

His experience also extends to the party’s diaspora structures in the United States, where he said he helped establish a Tertiary Students’ Confederacy (TESCON) branch ahead of the NPP’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Mr Bodja said his experience in the Volta Region, where the NPP has historically faced challenges in building a strong political presence, had demonstrated the importance of sustained grassroots engagement and innovative mobilisation.

“It was very difficult in the past to operate here for NPP in this region. But today you can say that you have seen the visibility of the party over the period,” he said.

He expressed confidence that strategies that helped improve the party’s visibility in difficult political terrain could be replicated at the national level.

“If you can do this without resources, without expectations in the Western Region, if I get to Ashanti Region, it will be a hallelujah for us,” he said.

Mr Bodja is positioning the National Organiser’s office as a key component of the NPP’s rebuilding effort.

He said the party needs leadership capable of reconnecting its structures with the grassroots, improving internal communication and restoring enthusiasm among members following the 2024 defeat.

He also pointed to his organisational experience, youthful outlook and accessibility as qualities he believes could help drive that process.

“I’m not just coming, but I’m coming in a grand style,” he declared.

Former Volta Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kenwood Nuworsu, also called for a major repositioning of the party ahead of the 2028 elections.

He urged delegates to elect national executives capable of rebuilding unity, inclusiveness and confidence within the party.

Mr Nuworsu, a former Deputy Minister for Manpower, Youth and Employment under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, described Mr Bodja as a creative and well-connected party member whose experience could contribute to the NPP’s rebuilding efforts.

He appealed to delegates in the Volta Region to support Mr Bodja’s national ambition.

“Let us have this creative boy, this guy, very creative—one of the best we can find in our party in the whole of this country. He has connections. We should not treat him like me. Let us push him there,” he said.

Mr Nuworsu said the region should actively support competent members seeking national leadership positions within the party.

The NPP is currently undertaking an internal reorganisation, with elections at the polling station, electoral area, and constituency levels completed, while regional and national elections are expected to follow.

For Mr Bodja, however, the October national elections are about more than choosing new executives.

He believes the new leadership must transform the disappointment of the 2024 election defeat into a structured rebuilding process capable of positioning the party for the 2028 general election.

His campaign is therefore centred on healing, grassroots mobilisation, leadership renewal and a change in political mindset.

With the NPP preparing for its next electoral contest, Mr Bodja says the party’s return to power must begin now—with an effort to heal internal wounds, reconnect with its grassroots and rebuild the confidence needed to compete in 2028.