Shocker In Kumasi: ‘Macho Man’ Grabs First Vice Chairman

A professional bodybuilder and former bodyguard, Kojo Fosu Boadu, popularly known as “Kojo Bamba,” pulled off the biggest upset of the New Patriotic Party’s National Delegates Conference on Saturday September 3, 2026, defeating his former boss and a field of party heavyweights to claim the First Vice Chairman position.

Kojo Bamba polled 3,116 votes to beat Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B), whom he once served as personal bodyguard, in a stunning reversal of political fortunes. Nana B settled for Second Vice Chairman with 3,061 votes, while Nana Akomea took Third Vice Chairman with 2,987 votes.

The election, held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, drew 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions, with voting conducted across 31 polling stations for nine national executive positions.

Delta Force to National Stage

Kojo Bamba’s victory is the culmination of a political journey that began far from the corridors of power. He started as a leading member of the Delta Force, a pro-NPP group of muscular, physically strong bodybuilders who provided security for the party during elections in the Ashanti Region.

Through discipline and grassroots organizing, Bamba rose through the ranks. In 2018, he was appointed Deputy National Director of Operations of the NPP’s youth wing, his first formal step into party structures. He later served as bodyguard to the late Sir John (Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie) and subsequently to Nana B when the latter was National Organizer.

During the 2024 campaign, Bamba joined Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s (Napo) security team, keeping him close to the party’s top echelons even after the NPP’s electoral defeat.

“Vote for Two Elites and One Macho Man”

Kojo Bamba’s campaign message was as unconventional as his background. He told delegates: “Vote for two elites and educated people and vote for one macho man, which is Kojo Bamba”; a pitch that resonated with grassroots members who felt sidelined by the party’s establishment.

“These constituency executives are the ones who work for power to be attained, but they are often sidelined when power is attained,” Bamba said during his campaign, positioning himself as the voice of the party’s base.

His message clearly resonated with the delegates. When aspirants were introduced at the stadium, virtually all delegates rose to their feet amid shouts of joy at the mention of Kojo Bamba’s name. Shielded by his team of “macho men,” he waved to the crowd with confidence.

Bamba’s victory signals a profound shift in the NPP’s internal power dynamics. The party establishment represented by Nana B, Nana Akomea, and Sam Pyne was decisively rejected by delegates in favor of a grassroots organizer with Delta Force roots.

For a party still reeling from its 2024 defeat, the message from Kumasi seems to be that the base wants fighters, not technocrats. Kojo Bamba’s victory somehow exorcises the NPP from the “elitist” tag which has been used against it in a negative way over the decades.

As Ashanti Regional Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA) declared at the conference: “Ashanti Region will not disappoint the NPP. Ashanti Region will not disappoint Dr. Bawumia in 2028”.

But after Saturday’s upset, nothing in the NPP can be taken for granted.

John Boadu Makes Dramatic Comeback

The vice chairmanship upset was not the only drama of the day. John Boadu, ousted as General Secretary four years ago, completed a remarkable political resurrection by winning the National Chairman race with 2,888 votes in a four-man contest against Sammy Crabbe, Paul Afoko, and Boakye Agyarko.

Boadu, who began his political career as a polling station chairman and served as Acting General Secretary during the NPP’s 2016 election victory, said the outcome was not simply a personal victory but a mandate for renewal.

“Our task is to build a renewed NPP,” he said. “Let us unite and build a renewed NPP”.

Justin Kodua Frimpong regained the General Secretary position with 4,486 votes, defeating Sylvester Tetteh, Eugene Boakye Antwi, and Dr. Charles Dwamena in a field of four.

Bawumia: “Winning 2028 Won’t Be Easy”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who was confirmed as the party’s leader through a constitutional amendment earlier in the conference, congratulated the new executives but cautioned against complacency.

“Winning the 2028 election won’t be easy; we must work harder,” Bawumia told party members. He called on unsuccessful aspirants to remain engaged: “You’ll be part of the 2028 campaign. There’s enough work for all of us”.

The constitutional amendment approved at the conference reversed a January 2026 provision that had made the National Chairman the party’s leader, reinstating the flagbearer as leader when the NPP is in government.