NPP To Engage In Broader Consultation Before Fixing Presidential Primary Date

The National Council of the New Patriotic Party has advised that the party should engage in a broader consultation before fixing a date for the presidential and parliamentary primaries ahead of 2024.

What it means is that the party has no specific date yet since consultations are still ongoing.

Graphic Online’s Justice Agbenorsi reports from the Alisa Hotel in Accra where the National Council held its meeting on Thursday that the leadership of the party resolved to consult further on a definite date for the primaries.

The General Secretary of the party, Justin Frimpong Koduah, who disclosed this to journalists after a closed-door meeting clarified that there was no challenge regarding fixing the dates for the elections but there needed to be more deliberations centered on strengthening the party’s internal structure before settling on a date.

“I am sorry to disappoint you that from Steering Committee through to NEC and National Council (NC) it has been resolved that as a party, we need to do further consultation on the timelines for the presidential and parliamentary elections and within the shortest time possible, we will come out with the timelines for our presidential and parliamentary elections,” he said.

“As a party, we believe in consensus building and we recognise the views of each stakeholder in our deliberations so we want to come out with a date that is built on consensus and once that is done, we will tell you when the timelines will come,” Mr Koduah said.

Attendance

In attendance were President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, two other flag bearer aspirants of the party, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and Boakye Agyarko.

Recall

The much-anticipated meeting of the Steering Committee, NEC and the NC of the NPP to determine a date for the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries was postponed from January 31, to yesterday (February 2) following the absence of many of the council members, including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

The meeting was also to announce a date for the opening of nominations for both elections but it ended without the party coming out with a date for the flagbearership contest.

Date, venue

According to Article 13 (1) of the NPP Constitution: “The election for the party’s presidential candidates shall be held not later than 24 months from the date of the national elections.

“The date and the venue for the election shall be decided by the National Council, provided, however, that the National Council may, on appropriate occasions, vary the day”.

Given the above, both party members and the presidential hopefuls are waiting in earnest for the modalities for the internal election to elect a presidential candidate for the 2024 general election to come out.