The National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned flagbearer aspirants of the party to campaign on issues rather than resorting to levelling unsubstantiated allegations.

According to the party, at its meeting held on Thursday, July 20, 2023, the National Council took a serious view of some unhealthy comments and utterances from some aspiring Presidential Candidates and their supporters, which do not auger well for the unity and cohesion of the party.

Accordingly, the Council, in statement signed by the General Secretary of the party, Justin Kodua Frimpong, reinforced compliance with the Code of Conduct for Presidential and Parliamentary Elections of the Party.

“Any Aspiring Presidential Candidate, or his supporters, and party executives at all levels who act in contravention of the Code of Conduct, moving forward, shall be dealt with in accordance with the guidelines thereof and the Party Constitution. All Aspiring Presidential Candidates shall campaign on issues and refrain from levelling unsubstantiated allegations, personal attacks and vilifications against their opponents.”
New Patriotic Party

Also, the NPP emphasized that the relevant portions of the guidelines dealing with the standards of conduct expects that no aspiring Presidential Candidate shall undertake any activity that will polarize the party along tribal, religious, and other factional lines.

Additionally, it stated that all Aspiring Presidential Candidates shall impress upon their supporters not to engage in any of the activities stated above.

“An Aspiring Presidential Candidate shall sign an undertaking with the party, committing himself to supporting whoever is eventually elected/selected as the party’s Presidential Candidate after the election/selection process in the event that he is not elected/selected. He shall also undertake not to contest as an Independent Presidential Candidate or as a Candidate on the ticket of any other political party, and that, the NPP reserves the right to restrain him should he decide otherwise.”
Ne Patriotic Party

The photo Album/Register that was used to elect the Constituency Executives between April 22, 2022, and May 2, 2023, the party revealed, shall be the same album that will be made available to the Electoral Commission of Ghana for the conduct of the presidential primaries. In light of this, it indicated that any delegate who appoints a proxy shall apply to the National Secretariat three weeks before the conduct of the presidential primaries.

However, it noted that persons appointed as proxies must be delegates to the conference.

“The Party wishes to reiterate that any Aspiring Presidential Candidate who flouts any of the above guidelines and modalities, or conducts himself in a manner that brings the Party’s name into disrepute shall be deemed to be in breach of the Party Constitution and will, accordingly, be sanctioned including being disqualified from contesting in the Primaries.”
New Patriotic Party

Party executives urged to resign to contest for primaries

Moreover, the party noted that it has considered the guidelines for the conduct of the party’s presidential, and parliamentary primaries in constituencies where the Party has sitting Members of Parliament. After extensive deliberations, it indicated that the Council arrived at the decisions and resolutions which include regional and constituency party executives who wish to contest in the primaries in constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament, to resign from their respective positions not later than September 20, 2023.

The party stated that all such executives shall tender in their resignation letters to their respective Regional Party Secretariats not later than September 20, 2023.

“Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Constituencies where the Party has sitting Members of Parliament are not eligible to contest in the parliamentary primaries for those Constituencies.”
New Patriotic Party

The Special Electoral College scheduled for August 26, 2023, the NPP highlighted, shall be held at each of the 16 Regional Capitals. It stated that each delegate will be entitled to one vote and shall cast his/her vote by secret ballot for only one candidate and all aspiring Presidential Candidates shall be given the validated Album for the Special Electoral College at least one month to the date of the Congress (i.e., not later than July 26, 2023).

“Finally, while the party wishes all its Aspiring Presidential Candidates the best of luck in the primaries, it anticipates that these rules and regulations shall be strictly complied with by all stakeholders, particularly the candidates and their supporters in the supreme interest of the party.”
New Patriotic Party