On Monday, February 19, 2024, the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, officially launched his campaign team for the 2024 general elections.
The team comprises 41 members, including three members of the Council of Elders of the party, who have different roles in the 12 divisions of the team.
The 12 divisions of the team, including the legal directorate, finance and fund-raising, campaign communications directorate, campaign coordinators, campaign management and campaign operations, would be led by bigwigs of the party.
Here is a brief profile of some of the NPP stalwarts who will lead key campaign team divisions, spearheading the race to make Dr Bawumia president.
Campaign Chairman and Strategist – Dan Botwe
Dan Botwe, the Member of Parliament for Okere in the Eastern Region of Ghana, is the Chairman and Strategist of the NPP campaign team for the 2024 polls.
He was a key player in the election of President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2000, and he is expected to bring the same energy to the team to achieve the NPP’s “Breaking the 8” agenda.
He has been a Member of Parliament since 2008, serving for nearly 16 years. He has served in various other capacities in the party, including the National Treasurer of the Youth Wing of the NPP and the Director of Operations and Research at the National Headquarters.
Daniel Botwe was born on February 26, 1958. He served as Minister of Communications in the John Agyekum Kufuor administration and, as of 2017, was the Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development in the Nana Akuffo Addo administration until he was relieved of his duties in February 2024.
He attended the Presbyterian Primary and Middle Schools at Mabang in the Ahafo-Ano District of the Ashanti Region for his primary education. He obtained his G.C.E. Ordinary Level certificate at Kumasi Academy and his G.C.E. Advanced Level certificate in 1977 from Achimota School.
He gained admission into the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.
Campaign Manager – Frederick Opare Ansah
Former NPP MP for Suhum, Frederick Opare Ansah, is the Campaign Manager of the NPP for the 2024 elections.
Frederick Opare-Ansah was born September 5, 1968, and hails from Amankokrom-Akuapem, a town in the Eastern Region.
He was a member of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Parliaments of the 4th Republic of Ghana, representing the Suhum Constituency of the Eastern Region in all four times he was in the House. He was also a Deputy Minister for Communications under the John Agyekum Kufuor government.
He obtained a B.S.C. in Electrical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Coastal Zone Campaign Coordinator – Mavis Hawa Koomson
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, is the Campaign Coordinator for the Coastal Zone for the NPP.
Hawa Koomson served as the Minister for Special Development Initiatives during the first term of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. She is also the M.P. for Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region and has served in that role since 2012.
Hawa Koomson was born February 3, 1966, and hails from Salaga in the Savannah Region of Ghana.
She holds a diploma and a bachelor’s degree in Basic Education from the University of Education, Winneba. She also holds a master’s, a postgraduate diploma in public administration (C.P.A.), and a postgraduate diploma in public administration (D.P.A.) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
She is a teacher by profession, having occupied various positions, including head teacher, assistant superintendent, and Principal superintendent.
She was also president of the Gender Unit of the Ghana National Association of Teachers Ladies Association (GNATLAS) Sekondi local, treasurer for GNATLAS (Western Region), and secretary for GNATLAS (Takoradi local).
Middle Belt Zone Campaign Coordinator – Dr Nana Ayew Afriye
Nana Ayew Afriye, the M.P. for the Effiduase-Asokore Constituency in the Ashanti Region, is the Middle Belt Zone Campaign Coordinator for the NPP.
He was born on January 22, 1978, and is a medical doctor by training. He is the Chairperson of the Health Committee of the 8th Parliament of Ghana and also a member of the Finance Committee.
He obtained an M.B. ChB, a B.S.C. and an M.A. from the University of Ghana, an M.P.H. from the University of Leeds, UK, and a postgraduate certificate from Oxford University, U.K.
Nana Ayew Afriye was a Medical Officer at the Ridge Hospital from 2004 to 2007, Castle Clinic from 2007 to 2009, and the Institutional Public Health Head at the Ridge Hospital between 2011 and 2012.
He was also the C.E.O. of St. John’s Medical and Fertility Centre.
Northern Zone Campaign Coordinator – Dominic Nitiwul
The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, will be in charge of coordinating the NPP campaign in the northern parts of Ghana.
Nitiwul has been the Minister of Defence of Ghana since January 13, 2017 – the first term of the Akufo-Addo government.
He is also the Member of Parliament for the Bamboi Constituency. He also represented the constituency in the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th parliaments.
Dominic Nitiwul studied in various educational institutions in Ghana, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In Germany, he earned certificates in conflict prevention (2003) and conflict management (2005) from the International Academy for Leadership.
He obtained his Master’s in Business Administration in finance from the University of South Wales and a Master of Laws in corporate finance from the University of Westminster.
Director of Operations – Justin Frimpong Kodua
Justin Frimpong Kodua (J.F.K.), the General Secretary of the NPP, will be in charge of operations for the 2024 polls.
Justin Kodua Frimpong is a lawyer and a member of the Ghana Bar Association. He is a former Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
He was born on November 14, 1982. He attended Opoku Ware Senior High School in Kumasi before proceeding to Hackney Community College, London, where he obtained a certificate in Information Communication Technology (I.C.T.).
After his studies abroad, he relocated to Ghana and enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Kumasi, where he studied Land Economy. He went on to read law at the same university before being admitted into the Ghana School of Law, after which he was called to the Bar.
He also holds a Certificate in Financial Management from the Institute of Commercial Management, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.