The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is preparing to adopt a more deliberate approach to identifying parliamentary candidates capable of securing seats for the party in the 2028 general elections, Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye has disclosed. He explained that the initiative is intended to strengthen the party’s internal processes while ensuring that candidates selected have the capacity to compete effectively in their respective constituencies.
Mr Aboagye emphasised that the proposed approach would not undermine the democratic principles governing the party’s parliamentary primaries. He noted that the NPP is committed to allowing qualified persons to participate while examining how its internal processes can produce candidates with stronger prospects in the general election.
“The idea is that, how do we manage our parliamentary internal parliamentary primaries or processes in a way and manner that will ensure that the best persons come out to represent the party and win the seats for the NPP? That is the whole idea.”
Dennis Miracles Aboagye
The Director of Communications explained that the concept of a strong candidate cannot be determined through a single standard because electoral dynamics differ across constituencies. He indicated that the party would therefore consider the specific circumstances of each constituency when assessing individuals who could give the NPP a competitive advantage.
According to Mr Aboagye, the exercise could also involve engaging individuals who have strong community support but may not have previously considered entering partisan politics. He argued that such conversations could help the party identify people whose popularity and standing within their communities could translate into electoral support.
In addition, the NPP Communications Director clarified that the process should not be interpreted as an attempt to exclude aspirants from the parliamentary primaries. He stressed that the emphasis is on inclusion and creating conditions that encourage individuals with strong electoral prospects to participate in the party’s internal processes.
Mr Aboagye noted that the party’s immediate attention is on constituencies without sitting NPP Members of Parliament, commonly described as orphan constituencies. He explained that these areas require early attention as the party seeks to identify suitable candidates with sufficient time to prepare for the 2028 contest.
He disclosed that the detailed arrangements for the exercise are still being worked out by the party leadership. However, he indicated that preparatory activities are expected to begin immediately, with specific timelines to be communicated once the leadership reaches firm decisions.
The Director of Communications emphasised that the underlying objective is to improve the NPP’s chances of winning parliamentary seats in 2028. He added that the party would communicate the next steps once the relevant decisions on the process have been finalised.
Bawumia Wants NPP Parliamentary Candidates Beyond Primary Winners
New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for a broader assessment of parliamentary aspirants to ensure that the party fields candidates capable of winning general elections. His position places greater emphasis on electoral viability beyond success in the party’s internal parliamentary contests.
Dr Bawumia has disclosed that the NPP will conduct a candidate search across constituencies as part of preparations for the 2028 general elections. He explained that winning a parliamentary primary does not necessarily mean an aspirant has the capacity to defeat opponents in the subsequent national election.
“We are going to do a candidate search across all the constituencies, because some people can win parliamentary primaries because they have money, but they can’t win the general elections.”
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
The former Vice President’s position introduces electability as a key consideration in the party’s preparations for the next parliamentary contest. The approach is particularly significant for the NPP as it seeks to rebuild its parliamentary strength after its representation declined from 137 seats in 2020 to 88 seats following the 2024 elections.
Dr Bawumia has also indicated that the party intends to complete its internal electoral processes as early as possible. He disclosed that the process would begin with constituencies where the NPP currently has no sitting Member of Parliament, giving the party additional time to organise its parliamentary campaign.
The candidate-search initiative therefore places emphasis on identifying individuals who can translate internal party support into broader constituency-level backing. This distinction is important because parliamentary elections require candidates to compete beyond the party’s delegate structure and secure votes from the wider electorate.
The proposed assessment also gives the NPP an opportunity to examine the circumstances of individual constituencies before settling on candidates. Factors affecting electoral competitiveness can differ significantly from one constituency to another, making constituency-specific assessment an important part of the process.
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