Dr Akwasi Oppong-Fosu, a National Chairman hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has outlined plans to strengthen the party’s structures, deepen grassroots participation, promote internal cohesion and build a future-ready political organisation, if given the nod.

Dr Oppong-Fosu said his leadership would focus on restoring the party’s foundational values, renewing its organisational systems and resetting how it operated, to make the NDC stronger, more inclusive and institutionally sustainable.

He said his vision, was outlined in three points – “restoration, renewal and reset,” intended to move the party away from personality-driven and transactional politics, towards a system-driven organisation built on strong institutions.

Dr Oppong-Fosu said these on Thursday, when he declared his want intention to contest the Party’s National Chairman position.

He said he would make the NDC a gold standard political party for the continent.

He explained that it was time the party built systems that would outlast individual leaders and executives.

Under his proposed restoration agenda, Dr Oppong-Fosu said the NDC would return to its foundational principles of probity, accountability and social justice, stressing that these should not remain ceremonial ideals but must guide how the party organised, led, recognised service and treated its members.

“Social justice must begin within our own political family. Everyone must have dignity. Everyone must have a voice. Everyone must have an opportunity to contribute,” he said.

Dr Oppong-Fosu, who is a former Minister of Local Government, said as National Chairman, he would place the party’s branches and constituencies at the centre of its organisational activities, describing the branch as “the heartbeat of the NDC.”

He said branches must be empowered with political education, information, organisational resources and the necessary tools to remain active throughout the political cycle rather than becoming important only during elections.

He also proposed stronger communication between the national leadership and grassroots structures, with feedback and experiences from branches and constituencies informing decision-making at the national level.

On party renewal, Dr Oppong-Fosu said he would support investment in research, technology, communication and data to improve the NDC’s organisation and response to emerging political and social challenges.

He said the party must also strengthen political education and deliberately prepare young people and women for leadership through mentorship, training and exposure to governance.

Dr Oppong-Fosu, pledged to promote transparent systems for recognising members’ service, competence and contribution, warning that recognition and opportunity should not depend entirely on personal access to powerful individuals, but should be guided by fair and transparent institutional processes.

On unity, he said his leadership would promote dialogue, consultation and consensus-building to prevent legitimate political competition from becoming permanent factionalism.

“After every internal election, we must deliberately bring people together. There must be no permanent winners and no permanent losers,” he emphasised.

Dr Oppong-Fosu said he would pursue what he described as “confidence without arrogance, firmness without belligerence, competition without destruction and debate without denigration,” noting that his experience in local government, Parliament, ministerial responsibility and international engagements had prepared him to manage competing interests and build consensus.

He cited his role in bringing Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone local government bodies together as an example of his approach to resolving institutional differences.

Dr Oppong-Fosu said his proposed reset would also involve strengthening weak structures, repairing broken communication, restoring excluded members to the party’s fold and improving systems of recognition and reward.

He said the ultimate objective was to build an NDC capable of consolidating its gains, carrying forward the legacy of President John Dramani Mahama and preparing effectively for the Election 2028 and beyond.

“The challenge before us is bigger than one electoral cycle,” he said, adding that the party must become stronger, more disciplined and organised, while ensuring that every member felt that “our voice matters, our service matters, our future matters.”

Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister, who chaired the programme, commended Dr Oppong-Fosu’s experience and urged party members to consider candidates’ track records in choosing their leaders.

He said the choice of a National Chairman was crucial to the party’s ability to identify and support a strong presidential candidate.

“The future of every Ghanaian depends on our decision,” he said.

He, therefore, cautioned members against allowing money or tribal considerations to influence their choices, stressing that the NDC needed leadership capable of uniting its structures and strengthening the party at the grassroots.