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 sparked vigorous debate. While the Council undoubtedly has the constitutional authority to set such a date, the rationale offered—espoused notably by Lawyer Frank Davies, Secretary of the Amendment Committee—is riddled with contradictions, flawed logic, and a concerning neglect of grassroots reforms.
This debate is not about constitutional legality. It is about strategic foresight. The core issue is whether electing a presidential candidate before expanding the Party’s foundational structures—particularly the proposed increase in polling station executives from five to seven—strengthens or weakens the long-term unity and electoral viability of the Party.
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- The Presidential Primaries Cannot Be Detached from the Base
The claim that presidential primaries are a “standalone” process, isolated from the Party’s base, is both misleading and dangerous. Article 5(2) of the NPP Constitution establishes a formal structure that begins at the polling station level. The very delegates who vote in the presidential primaries are drawn from this structure.
If the grassroots base is flawed, underrepresented, or outdated, then any presidential election conducted upon it lacks true legitimacy. The proposed expansion—adding two officers per polling station—is not a mere administrative adjustment. It is a strategic necessity aimed at revitalising the base, correcting past exclusions, and broadening participation. These are the very dynamics that shaped the Party’s painful defeat in 2024.
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- It Is Constitutionally and Operationally Feasible to Expand the Base Before January 2026
The argument that grassroots reform cannot precede the presidential primary lacks merit. The upcoming National Delegates Conference on July 19, 2025, which is expected to approve the expanded electoral college, could just as well approve the addition of two new polling station officers.
Once approved, polling station elections could be organised between August and September 2025. The Party has already demonstrated its capacity to conduct such elections within two months—most recently in 2018 and 2022. Suggesting otherwise is disingenuous and undermines confidence in the Party’s operational competence.
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- Skipping Grassroots Reform Is Strategically Shortsighted
Some have argued that an early presidential primary will prevent factional interference in subsequent elections and help foster unity. But that logic is backwards. Electing a flagbearer with a flawed or outdated grassroots base risks delegitimising the entire process and deepening apathy—particularly among members who feel excluded.
Ironically, while the National Council accepts the Oquaye Committee’s recommendation to expand the electoral college, it ignores the Committee’s equally important call to start with empowering the grassroots. You cannot build unity by first denying people agency, then asking them to rally behind a decision they had no hand in shaping.
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- The “Vacancy” Argument Is a Red Herring
The claim that the Party urgently needs a flagbearer because the position is currently “vacant” holds little strategic weight. While the role of flagbearer may symbolise leadership, its legitimacy stems from a fair and representative electoral process. Electing a candidate through an outdated structure risks undermining the very authority that the role is meant to carry.
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- Inclusiveness Cannot Be Selective
The Party’s willingness to expand the electoral college to include former MPs, ministers, MMDCEs, patrons, and elders is commendable. But excluding the actual polling station executives—those who form the lifeblood of the Party—from reform efforts reflects an elitist and top-heavy approach. Real inclusiveness begins at the bottom, not the top.
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Conclusion: Expand the Base First, Then Elect the Flagbearer
The NPP faces a critical crossroads. Expanding polling station executives and refreshing the grassroots base before electing a presidential candidate would:
• Inject fresh energy and legitimacy into the Party’s structure.
• Reduce the perception of manipulation or imposition.
• Ensure a fair and credible electoral college.
• Build genuine unity—not forced consensus.
If the July 19 Conference approves the grassroots expansion, polling station elections can follow promptly in August–September. That gives the Party more than enough time to hold a legitimate, broadly supported presidential primary on January 31, 2026.
The choice before us is clear: do we build the Party from the foundation up, or from the roof down? Let us not sacrifice long-term cohesion for short-term convenience.
True reorganisation begins at the base—not at the apex
By Prof. Joseph Freeman Danquah | University of Bradford, UK
