By Prof. Joseph Freeman Danquah
The recent communiqué from the National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announcing January 31, 2026, as the date for electing the Party’s 2028 presidential candidate has ignited spirited debate. However, the attempt to rationalise this decision, though both constitutional and strategic, suffers from internal contradictions, logical flaws, and a selective reading of the party’s broader organisational reality.
At the heart of this matter is not whether the National Council has the constitutional mandate to fix the date for presidential primaries — it clearly does — but whether the rationale behind prioritising the presidential primaries ahead of reforms at the base, particularly the expansion of polling station executives from five to seven, serves the long-term health, unity, and electoral success of the Party.
The claim that the presidential primaries are a “standalone” process detached from the organisational structure of the party is both misleading and dangerous. While Article 5(2) of the NPP Constitution defines the formal structure from polling station to national level, the delegates who vote in the presidential primaries are drawn primarily from that very structure.
If the electoral college includes all current polling station executives, then any defect, limitation, or imbalance at that base level directly contaminates the integrity and inclusivity of the presidential primaries. Expanding the base to include two additional officers, as proposed by Lawyer Frank Davies’ committee, is not just an administrative enhancement; it is a strategic imperative for reenergising the Party’s grassroots, broadening participation, and correcting past exclusionary practices that contributed to the Party’s 2024 defeat.
The assertion that the expansion of polling station executives must not be a condition for holding presidential primaries is legally, factually, and operationally incorrect. Indeed, the Delegates Conference slated for July 19, 2025, which is expected to approve the limited expanded electoral college for the presidential primaries, can just as easily approve the addition of the proposed two new polling station officers and authorise polling station elections within 90 days of the conference — well in time for the January 31, 2026, presidential primary.
The Party has already demonstrated its logistical capacity to conduct polling station elections within a few weeks, guided by timelines and supervision protocols. There is ample precedent. In both 2018 and 2022, the Party successfully conducted nationwide polling station elections within two months. Nothing prevents it from doing the same between August and September 2025.
The main justification offered by proponents of the January 2026 primaries presumes that electing a flagbearer early will prevent factional interference in down-ballot internal elections, and that unity will naturally emerge once a candidate is chosen. That logic, however, ignores a very real risk: selecting a presidential candidate with the old and imbalanced base will delegitimise the process and deepen apathy, especially among already disgruntled party members.
Ironically, the National Council accepts the Oquaye Committee’s recommendation for an expanded electoral college while dismissing the same committee’s suggestion that grassroots empowerment — starting with expanding the polling station executives — is the first cure for apathy. You cannot cure grassroots apathy by first denying party members voice and agency, and then asking them to align themselves with a candidate they did not actively help to select.
The claim that the flagbearer slot is vacant and therefore must be urgently filled, or that the party needs an “Opposition Leader,” has also gained some traction. But this does not justify bypassing foundational reforms. The flagbearer, while not a constitutional organ of the party, derives legitimacy from the grassroots electoral college. If this base is outdated or incomplete, then the flagbearer’s authority will be in jeopardy. The party must resist the urge to create a flagbearer at all costs, only to later realise it has lost the very constituency needed to carry the flag in battle.
The proposed expansion of the electoral college in the presidential primaries to include former MPs, former ministers, former MMDCEs, patrons and elders is commendable. But the hypocrisy is glaring: while the Party is ready to accommodate former office holders, it refuses to hold polling station elections — the actual lifeblood of the Party. This smacks of top-heavy elitism and undermines the idea that the election is an “inclusive” process.
Conclusion: Expand the Base, Then Elect the Flagbearer
The NPP has a golden opportunity to rebuild its internal structures with integrity. Expanding the polling station executives and refreshing the grassroots before electing a flagbearer would inject new energy and legitimacy into the base, reduce perceptions of manipulation or imposition, ensure a fair and updated electoral college, and foster true unity rather than forced consensus.
If the National Delegates Conference approves the polling station expansion on July 19, the Party can conduct polling station elections in August and September and be fully prepared to hold a legitimate and widely accepted presidential primary on January 31, 2026.
The choice before us is clear: do we build a house from the roof down or lay a stronger foundation before choosing our next leader? Let us not sacrifice long-term unity for short-term convenience. True reorganisation starts at the base — not at the apex.
Prof. Joseph Freeman Danquah
University of Bradford, UK
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