KUMASI, Ghana — A large campaign billboard displaying the image of New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairmanship aspirant Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko collapsed at the Heroes Park area adjacent to the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, 2026, causing damage to four vehicles parked nearby.
According to multiple reports, the billboard structure gave way as thousands of delegates and party supporters converged on the stadium for the NPP's National Delegates Conference and National Executive Elections — a gathering that drew approximately 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions to elect the party's national leadership ahead of the 2028 general elections.
No injuries were reported in the aftermath of the collapse. The precise cause of the structural failure remained unknown as of the time of reporting, and the full extent of damage to the affected vehicles had not yet been assessed.
The incident was initially circulated on social media, with footage and accounts posted by users on X (formerly Twitter) showing the collapsed structure and damaged vehicles belonging to delegates attending the conference. The scene highlighted the scale of campaign material erected across Kumasi in the lead-up to the elections, as major streets and venues were lined with posters and billboards promoting candidates for various national executive positions.
The billboard collapse occurred against the backdrop of a highly competitive chairmanship race. Four candidates — Boakye Agyarko, former NPP General Secretary John Boadu, former National Chairman Paul Afoko, and former Second Vice-Chairman Sammy Crabbe — were contesting the National Chairperson position. Agyarko, a former Energy Minister, had entered the contest with a four-pillar agenda dubbed "R.I.S.E." — Reconciliation and Genuine Unity, Integrity of the Constitution and Discipline, Support for the Grassroots, and Election Readiness for 2028.
The conference itself was convened to elect officers for nine national executive positions, with 46 candidates on the final ballot following the withdrawal of National Youth Organiser Salam Mustapha from the National Organiser race. Delegates also considered and approved 14 proposed constitutional amendments, including one that formally designated the party's flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as the leader of the party. Dr. Bawumia, who addressed the conference, urged delegates to conduct themselves peacefully and accept the election results in good faith.
Voting was supervised by the Electoral Commission, with 31 polling centres established within the stadium. The Ashanti Region fielded the largest delegation with 1,122 delegates, followed by Greater Accra with 773 and the Eastern Region with 732.
While the billboard collapse did not disrupt proceedings, it raised unaddressed questions about the safety of campaign structures erected in and around the venue. No official statement had been issued regarding responsibility for the damage or whether an inspection of other billboards would be conducted.
The NPP's National Delegates Conference represented a critical step in the party's internal reorganisation as it positions itself to challenge the governing National Democratic Congress in the 2028 general elections.
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