The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has started processes to ensure free, fair and transparent presidential and parliamentary primaries for the 2024 general election.
A memo dated May 3, 2023 and issued by NPP General Secretary, Mr. Justin Kodua Frimpong, to all constituency executives, indicated that the leadership of the party will be coordinating with all Constituency Executive Committees through the Regional Executive Committees to streamline the verification of each constituency album for the polls.
Mr. Kodua Frimpong said this was a directive by the National Council of the Party at its meeting held on April 3, 2023 as part of measures to ensure the party’s primaries are conducted with greatest transparency.
“In view of the above, the General Secretary would from Wednesday, May 10, 2023, make available to each constituency, its album with an attached document for the verification process.
“Accordingly, a Verification Exercise Committee shall be constituted to supervise the process in each constituency”, the memo stated.
It said the composition of the Committee shall be as follows:
1. Chairperson of the Constituency Council of Elders – Chairperson 2. Constituency Chairperson- Member
3. The Member of Parliament for the Constituency if any / Representative
4 . Constituency Secretary
5. Organizer
6. Constituency Information Technology Coordinator/Officer.
“The Committee is instructed to collaborate and meticulously scrutinize the album to ensure transparency for this all important exercise.
“Further, the Committee has until May 26, 2023, to complete the verification process and submit it to the Regional Executive Committee by May 31, 2023.
“You are further advised to send all petitions if any, to the Regional Executive Committee. The Regional Executive Committees are to submit the albums and their findings to the office of the General Secretary by June 23, 2023”, the memo added.
It has further directed that the album submitted to each constituency should be the same album that was used for the election of Constituency Officers during the Constituency Delegates Conference.
All Committee members will be required to append their signatures on each page of the album upon receipt and on completion of the verification exercise.
Furthermore, all Committee members will be required to append their signature on each page of the verified document.
“The committee cannot replace or substitute any delegate, whether dead, relocated, suspended or has moved to another position”, the memo cautioned.
Potential contestants
About 10 people have so far declared their intention to contest the NPP presidential primaries including former Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, MP for Assin Central Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and former Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto.
The rest are former Minister for Energy Boakye Agyarko, former Minster for Railway Development Joe Ghartey, former General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, former MP for Mampong Francis Addai Nimoh.
Timelines for primaries
NPP has set November 4, 2023, as the date for its presidential primaries to select a flagbearer for the general election in 2024.
However, if more than five candidates file to run in the primaries, the party will hold a Special Congress on August 26 to cut the number to five for the main primaries.
The nomination period for NPP’s presidential primaries will begin on May 26 and end on June 24, 2023.
The party has also announced that parliamentary primaries will be held in February 2024.
Nominations will be accepted between December 20, 2023, and January 4, 2024.
This means NPP will choose its Presidential Candidate before its parliamentary candidates.
