By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, July 24, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has constituted a nine-member Elections Committee to supervise the conduct of the Party’s Special Electoral College and the National Congress on August 26 and November 4 respectively.
The Elections Committee, which is chaired by the Rt. Rev. Prof. Mike Aaron Ocquaye, also has Mr. Abankwa Yeboah as the Vice Chairman and Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Prof. Emmanuel Flolu and Madam Rita Talata Asobayire, as Members.
The rest are Mr. William Yamoah, Member/ Secretary, Mr Evans Nimako, Philip Kwasi Nkrumah (Esq) and Madam Afua Gyekyewa , all members.
The Party, in a statement signed and issued on Monday by Mr Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary, and obtained by the Ghana News Agency, said the decision was arrived at after a National Council meeting held on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Despite the constitution of the Committee, the Party indicated that the Electoral Commission of Ghana would conduct the Special Electoral College elections.
It added that all aspiring presidential candidates shall be given the validated album for the Special Electoral College at least one month to the date of the Congress (i.e. not later than July 26, 2023).
It also indicated that the Special Electoral College scheduled for August 26, 2023, would be held at each of the 16 Regional Capitals.
Ten aspirants have been cleared by both the Vetting Committee and the National Council of the Party to contest the presidential primaries.
The aspirants are Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Mr. Kwadwo Poku, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr Boakye Kyerematen Agyarko and Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
The rest are Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Mr Joe Ghartey and Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the Party opened nominations for parliamentary primaries in constituencies where it has no parliamentary representations (Orphan Constituencies).
The Party said regional and constituency party executives who wished to contest in the primaries in Constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) must resign from their respective positions not later than September 20, 2023.
“All such executives shall tender in their resignation letters to their respective Regional Party Secretariats not later than September 20, 2023,” it emphasised.
The Party added that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Constituencies where the Party already had sitting MPs were not eligible to contest in the parliamentary primaries for those constituencies.
The NPP has slated August 26, 2023, to hold its Special Electoral College to trim the Presidential aspirants to five from the current 10, and November 4 for its National Congress.
GNA