The Chairman of the NPP National Elections Committee, Frederick Opare-Ansah, has disclosed that the party will conduct a full simulation of its October 3 national elections at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Tuesday. The exercise, involving the Electoral Commission and the Ghana Police Service, is intended to identify any gaps in the arrangements and allow the committee to make corrections before election day.
The Former Suhum MP explained that the simulation is a preparation process designed to ensure that candidates, delegates and election officials are familiar with the procedures before the polls. He noted that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will provide additional time to address any inadequacies identified during Tuesday’s exercise.
“Together with those two institutions, we will all go to the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and simulate what could happen on Saturday.”
Frederick Opare-Ansah
Meanwhile, Honourable Opare-Ansah indicated that the Electoral Commission will conduct the actual voting under the supervision of the committee and in accordance with the rules and guidelines already communicated to the various stakeholders. He added that responsibility for security at the venue rests with the Ghana Police Service as preparations continue towards the October 3 contest.
The Chairman further disclosed that another engagement will take place on Friday involving the Electoral Commission and agents representing the aspirants. This meeting will allow the stakeholders to walk through the voting procedures once again and ensure that the arrangements expected on election day are understood before delegates arrive at the stadium.
On the issue of security, he stressed that the committee expects delegates to have a free environment in which to cast their ballots without intimidation. Consequently, the security arrangements are being coordinated to support an orderly process and minimise the possibility of incidents at the congress grounds.
The Former Suhum MP also disclosed that 45 aspirants are currently remaining in the contest after two additional aspirants withdrew from the race. The October 3 elections will cover the party’s national executive positions, with the party having earlier cleared 47 aspirants to contest nine national executive positions.
Reflecting on the preparations, Honourable Opare-Ansah explained that the committee’s objective is to ensure that there are no unfamiliar procedures confronting stakeholders when voting begins. He believes the repeated engagements with the Electoral Commission, the Police Service and aspirants will help create a process in which the various participants understand their respective responsibilities.
“We are doing all this to ensure that on Saturday, when we go, nobody has any surprises.”
Frederick Opare-Ansah
At the same time, the Chairman acknowledged that the election will inevitably produce winners and unsuccessful candidates because only 11 positions are being contested within the national executive structure. He therefore expects the preparatory measures to provide candidates and delegates with sufficient confidence in the process, regardless of the eventual outcome.
NPP Strengthens Register Checks Ahead Of National Executive Elections
The Former Suhum MP, Frederick Opare-Ansah, also outlined the steps taken by the NPP National Elections Committee to improve the credibility of the register ahead of the party’s October 3 national executive elections. The Chairman of the party’s election committee explained that the committee has worked with aspirants throughout the validation process to identify discrepancies and make the necessary corrections.
According to Honourable Opare-Ansah, the register is compiled from information received from the various regions and institutions, meaning the committee has had to rely on stakeholders to identify errors that may not have been immediately apparent. He noted that aspirants who raised specific issues were given the opportunity to provide information that could assist the committee in verifying and correcting the records.
The Chairman explained that the validation exercise has therefore been treated as an important part of the electoral process rather than as a procedural formality. While the compilation has presented challenges, he indicated that the committee has consistently engaged with the aspirants to address issues brought before it.
On the issue of confidence in the eventual results, Honourable Opare-Ansah linked acceptance of the outcome to the transparency of the processes leading to election day. He observed that candidates are more likely to accept the results when they have been able to follow the procedures from nomination and vetting through balloting and the final voting process.
The Former Suhum MP also pointed to the stages already completed before the October 3 contest. These include the opening of nominations, vetting of aspirants and balloting, with the Electoral Commission expected to conduct the elections under the supervision of the National Elections Committee.
Meanwhile, the committee has introduced further verification arrangements for delegates as part of the preparations for the polls. The final delegates register was completed earlier in September and made available to aspirants or their authorised representatives, while an online verification facility has also been provided for delegates to confirm their eligibility.
Speaking about the possible reaction of unsuccessful candidates, Honourable Opare-Ansah acknowledged that no electoral arrangement can compel every losing candidate to accept an outcome without question. However, he argued that a transparent process gives candidates a basis to understand how the results were produced and assess whether the outcome reflects the process they witnessed.
In addition, the Chairman emphasised that security is a key part of the committee’s preparations for the October 3 election. He explained that the Ghana Police Service will be responsible for maintaining security while the committee continues to work with the Electoral Commission to ensure that delegates can vote without intimidation.
The focus, therefore, is to create an electoral environment where candidates and delegates can participate freely and understand the procedures governing the contest. Honourable Opare-Ansah indicated that the committee expects the combined preparations, verification processes and stakeholder engagements to reinforce confidence in the exercise when voting begins in Kumasi.
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