The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is considering a package of constitutional amendments aimed at expanding participation in its internal elections, clarifying leadership roles and strengthening the party’s organisational structures.
The proposals are contained in a report submitted by the party’s nine-member Constitution Amendment Committee to the National Council on September 10, 2026.
The committee, chaired by Frank Davies, was tasked by the National Council at its June 25 meeting to receive and review proposed amendments ahead of the party’s National Delegates Conference scheduled for October 3, 2026.
According to the report, the committee received more than 160 proposals from party members and identifiable groups in both hard copy and electronic form.
However, the committee said the current exercise was intended to be limited and focused, following the comprehensive constitutional review undertaken by the party in 2025.
It therefore recommended that no more than 20 substantive motions should ultimately be presented for consideration at the National Delegates Conference.
One-member, one-vote proposal
A major proposal seeks to amend the NPP Constitution to allow all card-bearing members in good standing to vote in the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.
The committee linked the proposal to the recent Supreme Court decision in Prof. Frimpong Boateng & Ors. v. New Patriotic Party & Ors., which it said requires political parties to amend their constitutions to give members in good standing voting rights in presidential and parliamentary primaries, in accordance with Article 55 of the 1992 Constitution.
The committee said the proposed amendment would broaden participation in the party’s internal electoral processes and align its constitution with the Supreme Court’s decision.
Council of Elders to receive formal advisory role
Another proposal seeks to formally recognise the National Council of Elders as an advisory body to the National Council on matters affecting the party, including issues relating to the party’s presidential candidate.
The committee said the move would create an institutional framework for drawing on the experience and institutional knowledge of former party leaders.
It also recommended a proposal to give voting rights at the National Delegates Conference to chairpersons of Regional Councils of Elders.
The committee argued that the chairpersons are already members of Regional Steering Committees and that extending voting rights to them would address what it described as an apparent anomaly in representation.
Six national vice-chairpersons proposed
The report also proposes increasing the number of National Vice-Chairpersons from three to six.
Under the proposal, three vice-chairpersons would be elected while three would be appointed. The appointed vice-chairpersons would not be eligible to succeed to the position of National Chairman.
The committee said the proposal is intended to ease the workload of the National Chairman, strengthen regional mobilisation and promote geographical, ethnic, religious and gender balance in the party’s national leadership.
National Chairman and presidential candidate
The committee is also recommending a constitutional clarification of who should serve as Leader of the NPP.
Under the proposal, the National Chairman would serve as Leader of the Party when there is no elected presidential candidate.
Once a presidential candidate is elected, that candidate would automatically become the Leader of the Party.
The committee said the arrangement would provide continuity and avoid uncertainty over party leadership, particularly during periods between presidential elections and the selection of a new presidential candidate.
Presidential candidate to lead campaign structure
Another proposed amendment would give the party’s presidential candidate a central role in designing the presidential campaign structure.
Under the proposal, the presidential candidate, in consultation with the National Executive Committee, would develop the campaign structure and appoint the chairperson and other members of the National Campaign Advisory Committee, subject to approval by the National Council.
The committee said the arrangement would align the campaign structure with the presidential candidate’s strategic vision while retaining institutional oversight.
President proposed for National Steering Committee
The report further proposes reinstating the President, when the NPP is in government, as a member of the National Steering Committee.
According to the committee, the proposed change is intended to strengthen coordination between the party and government and facilitate consultation on political and governance matters.
Separate elections for national vice-chairpersons
The committee is also considering a proposal to make the positions of First, Second and Third National Vice-Chairpersons separate elective offices.
Under the proposal, candidates would indicate the specific vice-chairmanship position they intend to contest when filing their nominations.
The committee said separate elections could provide greater clarity over the responsibilities of the three positions and allow delegates to make separate choices for each office.
Deputy communications officers proposed
The proposed amendments also include the creation of Deputy Regional Communications Officers and Deputy Constituency Communications Officers.
The committee said the proposal follows the transition of Regional and Constituency Communications Officers from appointive to elective positions.
It argued that the expansion of the party’s communications structure had increased the need for additional coordination and support at regional and constituency levels.
Gender equality and administrative reforms
The report proposes giving the NPP Women’s Wing a specific constitutional mandate to promote the progressive achievement of gender equality targets in line with the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121).
Another proposal would formally recognise an Administrative Manual containing the duties and responsibilities of elected and non-elected party officers.
The committee said the manual would provide clearer guidance, improve accountability and reduce duplication or conflicts in the functions of party officials.
Polling station as basic party unit
The committee is also recommending that the polling station be formally established as the basic organisational unit of the NPP.
The proposal would align the party’s polling-station structure with the Electoral Commission’s demarcation.
The committee said this could improve membership identification, voter mobilisation, grassroots organisation and coordination of electoral activities.
Amendments to remain limited
In its concluding recommendations, the committee said the final package should focus on constitutional changes required by the Supreme Court’s decision, strengthening internal democracy, clarifying the responsibilities of party organs and officers, improving campaign and organisational structures, promoting inclusiveness and gender equality, and enhancing administrative efficiency.
It also stressed that the amendments should remain sufficiently focused so they do not overwhelm the business of the October 3 National Delegates Conference, whose principal purpose includes the election of the party’s national officers.
The committee has therefore asked the National Council to take note of the work completed so far and endorse its approach of consolidating the more than 160 proposals into a manageable number of substantive motions.
The proposals are expected to form part of the issues for consideration and debate at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference on October 3, 2026.
