With the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Western Regional executive elections scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2026, incumbent Regional Chairman, Nana Kojo Toku, appears to have a compelling case for re-election, having led the party to one of its most impressive electoral performances in the region.
Nana Toku, who is seeking another mandate, faces a challenge from his first vice-chairman, Kwame Bolu, and three-time former Member of Parliament, George Arthur, in what is expected to be a keenly contested race.
However, a growing sentiment among delegates suggests that the incumbent, nicknamed “The seat snatcher”, has a significant advantage, largely because of his electoral record, leadership experience and an unfinished vision for the party in the Western Region.
Under Nana Toku’s leadership, the NDC secured 15 out of the 17 parliamentary seats in the Western Region in the 2024 general elections, a remarkable achievement that has strengthened his argument for another term.
The party’s victories included constituencies such as Essikado-Ketan, Mpohor, Shama, Ahanta West and Tarkwa, among others, with the results demonstrating the party’s growing electoral strength under his stewardship.
For many delegates, the figures alone provide a compelling reason to retain him. Their argument is simple: a leadership that has delivered such an impressive electoral outcome deserves the opportunity to consolidate its gains rather than be replaced.
It is for this reason that a former Youth Organiser, George Dadzie, who is contesting for the Secretary position has aligned with the Toku team red camp.
According to Dadzie, who is the deputy coordinator of RSCOMDEP, “you don’t change a winning team. This is the reason I have decided to join the team red camp”.
Indeed, one of the defining moments of Toku’s leadership was his decision to have his personal aide, Eric Kyeremah, who is contesting for the Regional Communication office of the party step aside as the NDC’s candidate for the Mpohor parliamentary seat in favour of a new candidate.
The decision, which was considered a difficult political choice, eventually paid off with the NDC winning the constituency for the first time.
It is being cited by supporters as evidence of a chairman prepared to put the collective interest of the party above personal relationships and considerations.
This, they argue, is the kind of decisive leadership required to expand the party’s electoral fortunes and secure the remaining two parliamentary seats in the region.
Beyond his electoral credentials, Nana Toku is also seeking to convince delegates that his vision for the Western Region remains unfinished.
His ambition of making the region entirely green for the NDC and transforming it into the party’s ‘Second World Bank’ is a central part of his campaign message.
Supporters believe that replacing him at this stage could interrupt the momentum built over the past election cycle, particularly when the party needs to consolidate its strongholds and develop strategies to capture the two remaining parliamentary seats.
Some delegates have also drawn lessons from the party’s 2014 regional executive elections when they changed the regional chairmanship.
They argue that the experience should serve as a caution against changing leadership when the incumbent has demonstrated the capacity to deliver electoral victories.
According to them, Nana Toku has proven that the Western Region can be entrusted to his leadership and should be allowed to complete the vision he has started.
While his challengers, Kwame Bolu and George Arthur, are seeking to persuade delegates that a change in leadership is necessary, supporters of the incumbent contend that their campaigns have yet to present a sufficiently compelling alternative vision, with much of the contest characterised by accusations and counter-accusations.
For Toku’s camp, the central question confronting delegates is not simply who wants to become chairman, but who has demonstrated the ability to win elections, unite the party and expand its political influence.
With 15 parliamentary seats secured under his watch, the incumbent is presenting himself as a tested leader whose performance provides a stronger basis for re-election than promises of a new beginning.
As delegates prepare to cast their ballots on Saturday, the message from his supporters remains unmistakable: the NDC should not dismantle a winning team but retain the leadership that has demonstrated its ability to deliver.
For Nana Kojo Toku, therefore, the November 14 election is not merely a contest for another term. It is an opportunity to secure a fresh mandate to complete his vision of making the Western Region an undisputed electoral stronghold of the NDC.
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