The New Patriotic Party (NPP) first vice chairman contestant George Kwabena Abankwah-Yeboah is asking the party to re-build its relationship with the business community in Ghana since they have become ‘tired’ of backing them.
Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, the former NPP treasurer indicated that restoring confidence amongst private sector operators must be a key aspect of the reorganization exercise by the party as it heads toward the 2028 elections. Corrections Policy
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday September 3, 2026
Mr. Abankwah-Yeboah argues that support that traditionally comes to NPP from business owners can never be taken for granted so deliberate effort ought to be put in to understand the business community, business operators need to trust.
“The business community now is getting a bit tired,” Mr Abankwah-Yeboah stated.According to the first vice chairman aspirant, direct interaction with business owners as well as creating avenues to be informed by entrepreneurs to influence both policy and organization should be critical to the NPP.
“The NPP must demonstrate with clarity how it is going to improve the business condition, that it will create employment, where there will be opportunity for investment, it will bolster their respective operations, it will bring vibrancy back to business operations in Ghana,”
Mr Abankwah-Yeboah added. “If a government is coming into being and that government has policies that will help with their business, they will definitely support,”The aspirant’s statements comes at a time when the NPP is undergoing a major internal party reorganization after their dismal loss in the 2024 election, which would inform new leadership at the top and the path for the party in the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2028.
The elections that will select a new National Executive officers will happen at a Special National Delegates Congress slated for October 3, 2026 in a bid to restructure and re-energise the party for subsequent campaigns.
Mr Abankwah-Yeboah indicated that the task of re-engaging the business community and rebuilding confidence amongst operators within that segment must transcend mere campaign season and be at all times.
A key cog in the economy of Ghana, the business sector accounts for much of the country’s investments, jobs created and the supply of essential goods and services and thus any change in terms of policy regarding business taxation,access to finance, business regulation, business energy cost, business infrastructure among others may largely be the factor that can impact business-to-political parties relations.
Mr Abankwah-Yeboah argued that these issues must be addressed and reviewed in addition to the parties strategy, instead of only the parties desire for the electoral support to flow.
He rather wants the party to be more inclusive when developing business policy through engagement with the business community operators such as traders, manufacturers and traders in the private sector of the economy.
He maintained that after the poor electoral defeat by the NPP in 2024, the party needs to reinvent itself and its approach to campaigning, making sure it is able to win over previously lost voters and even expand the scope of support it receives.
For Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, addressing the needs of the business community is the way to woo business owners to back the NPP again in the 2028 elections. “If a government is coming into being, and that government has policy that may help with their business that is when they will support.” Mr Abankwah-Yeboah asserts. Newscard
Mr Abankwah-Yeboah stresses the importance for NPP leaders to actively listen to business owners: “They need to talk to the business people on how the NPP’s proposed policy would ensure their operation would improve, and that there would be more employment among the citizenry”.
He said as an incoming leader it would important for the first vice-chairmanship position to hear more from business operators to find out what they consider important in terms of how the operations could improve, “When business operators feel listened to then their support would come.” He reiterated.
For the NPP to be formidable in 2028 elections, Mr. Abankwah-Yeboah wants the NPP leaders to prioritize business owners above their internal struggles to reorganize. He emphasized how it is paramount for the current leadership to demonstrate effective communication that can relay the concerns businesses are experiencing so that policies could be formulated around them and not to them.
This he explained, is to improve the overall business environment of Ghana and hence increase confidence from the business fraternity towards the NPP.
He argues that once business operators are convinced of the gains from the intended policies, electoral victory would not be the only gain, employment creation and overall Ghana’s economic growth will result from the efforts of the government with business operators as well partners who share similar outlook of the country’s economy.
In view of this assertion, Mr. Abankwah-Yeboah called upon members of the party that will emerge from their October National Delegates Election on the October 3, 2026 for new national executives, to build relationship with the business community to re-ignite support they have for the party.
He indicates that if his leadership emerges, there will be constant communication and information flow about the issues and challenges facing businesses in Ghana for effective and conducive policies to be passed by the government.