Report by Bernard K DADZIE
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set dates for the conduct of its internal elections to elect party executives across the country.
The party intends to elect party officers who will take over the administration and steer affairs of the party ahead of 2024 elections from the polling stations to the national officers.
According to the timelines provided, the elections will begin with the polling station elections which has been scheduled between February 19, 2022 -March 5, 2022.
Electoral Area Elections will follow between March 18, 2022 to March 20, 2022 whilst constituency elections will be held from April 22, 2022- April 24, 2022. Regional Elections are scheduled to take place from 20th -22nd May whereas National Elections will take place from July 14, 2022-July 16, 2022.
The NPP General Secretary, Mr John Boadu, who made the announcement at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Accra on Friday January, 28, explained that all the elections would be held from February 19, 2022 to July 16, this year with the National Executive elections and the National Annual Delegates Conference slated for July 14 -16, 2022.
To him, this forms part of measures by the party’s leadership to ensure an effective re-organization of the party to strengthen it to enable it retain power in the 2024 general election.
The General Secretary further stated that in order to ensure peaceful internal elections, the National Council, the second highest decision-making body of the party, decided to form election committees at the various levels to supervise the elections.
This followed a meeting it held in Accra on Thursday, January 27, 2022 to deal with matters regarding the party’s re-organisation efforts as it seeks to retain power in 2024.
Mr Boadu however indicated that elections would not be held in some of the constituencies until a National Steering Committee takes a decision on a few issues. He says that those issues were “specific” in nature but not for public consumption.
The constituencies are Bawku Central, Assin North, Jaman South, Fomena, Jomoro, Savelugu, Techiman South and Akwatia. At the polling station level, Mr Boadu noted that elections would be held from February 19 to March 5, 2022 while the electoral area elections would be held from March 18 to March 20, 2022.
He therefore explained that a polling station and electoral area elections committee would be put in place to oversee the elections. Membership of the elections committee shall comprise one regional representative appointed by the regional executive committee who shall chair the committee.
The other members shall include constituency chairman, secretary, research and elections officer, constituency council of elder, patron, constituency Information Technology officer, Member of Parliament or his representative (this does not apply to orphaned constituencies), and an elderly woman.
Application forms can be obtained from polling stations and electoral area election committee at a fee of GH¢10.00.
According to the guidelines approved by the council, no prospective aspirant shall be denied access to the purchase of the application forms and if denied he or she has the right to put in a petition.
An applicant, according to the approved guidelines, is also required to be a known or active member of the party at the polling station or electoral area he or she seeks to contest.
The committee under the regulations is also required to receive completed application forms from prospective aspirants with three passport size photographs not later than three days to the polling station or electoral area elections.
Among the requirements, the name of an aspirant must be captured in an updated polling station register and must be a card-bearing member who votes at the same polling station or electoral area he or she is contesting.
The constituency executive elections to be held at the Constituency Annual Delegates Conference is to be supervised by a Constituency Election Committee, would be held between April 22 and April 24, 2022.
The regional executive elections and for that matter the Regional Annual Delegates Conference that has been approved by the Council, will be held between May 20 and May 22, 2022.This elections will also be supervised by the Regional Elections Committee.
The National Executive elections and the Annual National Delegates Conference is slated for July 14 to July 16, 2022. This elections would also be supervised by a National Elections Committee.
An aspirant for the position of National Chairman will be required to pay GH¢20,000 as nomination fees while the Vice Chairman or chairperson is expected to deposit GH¢ 15,000 as nomination fees.
The aspirant for General Secretary will pay GH¢10,000 while all other aspirants including Treasurer and Organiser will each pay GH¢ 8,000 with the exception of the women’s wing, Nasara and youth wings that would pay GH¢6,000 each.
The aspirant for the Regional Chairman position will pay GH¢5,000 as nomination fees while all other positions will be expected to pay GH¢2,000. The general secretary stated that an aspiring constituency chairman would be required to pay GH¢ 500 while all other positions would pay GH¢200.
He equally reminded them of the need to abide by the party’s Code of Conduct saying, “in view of the recent agitations regarding the enforcement of the Code of Conduct as it relates to the Presidential primaries, the party wishes to emphasize that the code, which is only a supplement to the party’s constitution provides clear procedures for handling alleged breaches and non-enforcement of its content”.
The General Secretary, therefore, stressed that any member of the party who felt aggrieved in one way or the other should petition the National Complaints Committee to seek redress “rather than holding press conferences and accusing the party of selectivity”.
Mr John Boadu, the General Secretary of the NPP in his address, used the platform to entreat party faithful and aspirants to help make the elections peaceful.
