Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as COKA, has been elected the new Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after securing a decisive victory in the party’s regional elections held on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
COKA polled 658 votes to beat his sole challenger, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, who obtained 269 votes in the keenly contested race.
The result gives COKA a commanding lead of 389 votes over Dr Kokofu and places him at the helm of the NPP’s regional affairs in the Ashanti Region, a key political stronghold for the party.
His victory marks a significant development in the NPP’s regional leadership and is expected to usher in a new phase of mobilisation, organisation and coordination ahead of the party’s future political activities.
COKA went into the election with considerable confidence, repeatedly expressing his belief that he had built sufficient support among delegates across the region to secure a convincing victory.
Ahead of the polls, he had set an ambitious target for himself, indicating that he expected to obtain not less than 90 percent of the votes.
Although the final result fell short of that projection, his 658 votes out of the 927 votes secured by the two candidates nonetheless gave him a substantial majority and a clear mandate from the delegates.
The outcome is likely to strengthen his position as he takes responsibility for coordinating the party’s activities across the region.
Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, a former Member of Parliament for Bantama and former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), secured 269 votes.
Despite his experience in national politics and public administration, he was unable to match COKA’s support among delegates.
His defeat brings the contest to a close after both candidates sought to convince delegates of their ability to lead the party’s regional structures and advance its interests.
The Ashanti Regional chairmanship is widely regarded as one of the most strategically important positions within the NPP because of the region’s historical and electoral significance to the party.
As regional chairman, COKA will be expected to work with constituency executives, Members of Parliament, parliamentary candidates, polling station executives and other stakeholders to strengthen the party’s organisational structures.
He will also face the task of promoting unity within the party and coordinating grassroots mobilisation across the region.
His ability to bring together different groups within the NPP will be particularly important as the party seeks to consolidate its support base and rebuild its structures.
COKA’s decisive election victory provides him with a strong starting point, but the task of translating the electoral mandate into effective party leadership will now begin.
Among the key issues likely to test his leadership will be maintaining cohesion among party members, addressing internal disagreements and ensuring that the regional structures remain active and responsive to the concerns of the grassroots.
The new chairman will also be expected to strengthen communication between the regional leadership and the party’s constituency structures while ensuring that delegates and supporters remain engaged in the party’s activities.
With the Ashanti Region continuing to play a crucial role in the NPP’s electoral calculations, COKA’s performance in office is likely to attract considerable attention both within the party and beyond.
For now, however, the election has given Odeneho Kwaku Appiah a clear mandate, with his 658 votes securing him the position of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman and placing him in charge of one of the party’s most influential regional structures.
By 1960news.com
