COKA crushes Kokofu to win NPP Ashanti chairmanship

Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, better known as COKA, has been elected as the new Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), defeating Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu by a significant margin. In the closely contested election held on August 15, 2026, COKA garnered 658 votes, while Dr Kokofu received 269 votes. This victory provides COKA with a strong mandate to oversee the party's regional operations in the Ashanti Region, an area historically seen as a crucial electoral base for the NPP.

This win also represents a notable political resurgence for COKA, who had previously lost to the former Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, commonly known as Chairman Wontumi.

COKA entered the election with high expectations, confidently projecting that he would secure over 90% of the votes based on the strong support he anticipated among delegates across the region. While his actual vote count did not meet this projection, his 658 votes gave him a substantial lead over Dr Kokofu, who received less than half of COKA's total.

Dr Kokofu, a former Member of Parliament for Bantama and former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ran the race with considerable experience in politics and administration. However, he was unable to match COKA's level of support from the delegates.

The election of COKA as regional chairman takes place at a critical juncture for the NPP, as the Ashanti Region remains central to the party's efforts to rebuild its political foundation and strengthen its organizational structures in preparation for upcoming elections. As the new regional chairman, COKA is tasked with the important responsibility of rallying the party's grassroots, fostering unity, and coordinating party activities throughout the region.

His primary challenge will be to capitalize on the strong support he received at the polls and work towards resolving any divisions that may have emerged from the election as the party strives to solidify its organization in the Ashanti Region.