Jefferson Sackey eyes second shot at Ablekuma Central as NPP begins rebuilding for 2028

Jefferson Kwamina Sackey, a former Deputy Director of Communications at the Presidency, has formally declared his intention to contest the New Patriotic Party's parliamentary primaries in Ablekuma Central, signalling an early start to what promises to be a competitive internal race as the NPP looks to claw back seats lost in the 2024 general election.

Sackey, who brings a background in political communications and campaign strategy, is no stranger to the constituency. He won the NPP's Ablekuma Central parliamentary primary in 2023 and went on to contest the December 2024 general election, securing 32,735 votes — equivalent to 42.08 per cent of valid ballots cast. Notably, he outperformed the NPP's own presidential candidate in the constituency by 3,778 votes, a figure his campaign team will likely point to as evidence of personal electoral strength in an area where the party's brand faced headwinds.

The challenge ahead

Despite his relatively strong individual showing, Sackey fell short of defeating the National Democratic Congress incumbent, Abdul-Latif Dan, who retained the Ablekuma Central seat with 45,066 votes. The margin between the two candidates stood at 12,331 votes — a substantial but not insurmountable gap in parliamentary terms, particularly given the volatile nature of Ghanaian electoral politics and the shifting fortunes that come with opposition status.

Closing that deficit by 2028 will demand more than name recognition. It will require the NPP to consolidate its existing support base in the constituency, mobilise voters who sat out the 2024 polls, and potentially win over swing voters who backed the NDC amid broader national dissatisfaction with the outgoing Akufo-Addo administration. Ablekuma Central, which falls within the Greater Accra Region, is a densely populated urban constituency where grassroots organisation and consistent community engagement tend to matter as much as national party dynamics.

What this means for the NPP's 2028 strategy

Sackey's early declaration is part of a wider pattern emerging across the country, as NPP figures who lost seats in 2024 or narrowly held on begin positioning themselves for the next electoral cycle. The party suffered significant losses in December 2024, ceding power to the NDC, and its path back to parliamentary relevance runs through constituencies exactly like Ablekuma Central — urban seats where the margins were competitive rather than decisive.

His experience in government communications and presidential campaigning could prove an asset in building a credible public profile, both within the party's internal primary process and in the wider constituency. Currently serving as a polling station chairman in Laterbiokorshie, he has maintained a local footprint since the 2024 defeat rather than stepping back from grassroots politics.

The NPP's internal primary process for 2028 is still some years away, but early declarations serve a strategic purpose — they allow aspirants to begin fundraising, build delegate networks and establish themselves as the frontrunner in the minds of party executives and constituency officers. Whether Sackey faces competition from within the NPP in Ablekuma Central remains to be seen, but his track record as the 2023 primary winner gives him a credible starting point.

The bigger picture for Ablekuma Central voters

For residents of Ablekuma Central, the early political activity signals that the constituency will be hotly contested come 2028. NDC's Abdul-Latif Dan will be defending a seat won with a clear majority, while the NPP will be looking to present a candidate capable of converting the relatively strong 2024 vote share into an outright victory. Voters in the constituency can expect intensified community engagement from both sides well ahead of the next election cycle.

Sackey's move is an early marker in what will likely be a long and closely watched race.