NPP to make illegal mining key 2028 election campaign issue - Annoh-Dompreh
NPP Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh says illegal mining will be at the heart of the party's 2028 campaign as it seeks to turn public concern over polluted rivers into a major election issue.
Ghana's main opposition New Patriotic Party says the fight against illegal mining will be at the heart of its campaign for the 2028 general election.
NPP Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh said the party would make illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, a major campaign issue as it seeks to return to power.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh, who is also MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, said the issue was about more than winning votes, arguing that the destruction of Ghana's rivers and other water bodies posed a threat to people's livelihoods.
"Galamsey will form the core of the narrative of our campaign in 2028," he told reporters after voting in the NPP's Eastern Regional elections in Asamankese on Saturday.
He said the party's decision was not simply a response to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) having used illegal mining as a campaign issue in previous elections.
"Water is life," he said. "If today the Birim River is destroyed and we can't even get water, we need to talk about it.
It is not just about campaign. It's about survival, it's about livelihood, it's about humanity."
Illegal mining has become one of Ghana's most contentious environmental and political issues, with mining activities blamed for pollution and degradation of several rivers and forest reserves.
NPP seeks to recover lost seats
Mr Annoh-Dompreh also said the NPP had acknowledged the challenges that contributed to its poor performance in the 2024 general election and was working to rebuild the party ahead of 2028.
The NPP lost the presidency and a significant number of parliamentary seats to the NDC in the 2024 election.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the party had begun efforts to strengthen its structures and reclaim constituencies it lost.
He acknowledged that the NPP's difficulties had extended beyond areas where it had traditionally struggled.
"Nationally we struggled with even traditional seats; Takoradi, Awutu Senya and the many seats in Greater Accra that we win with ease, we struggled," he said.
He said the party had accepted that the 2024 election presented it with particular challenges and was determined to learn from them.
The NPP is currently electing regional executives as part of preparations for the next general election.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh expressed confidence that the new Eastern Regional leadership would help strengthen the party's organisation and improve its prospects in 2028.