The ruling New Patriotic Party is expected to open nominations for its Parliamentary primaries in Constituencies where it has incumbent Members of Parliament at a fee of Seventy Eight thousands Ghana Cedis only.
A statement earlier issued by the General Secretary of the party Justin Kodua Frimpong indicated that the party would open nominations for interested candidates to pick on December 20, 2023, and close on December 25, 2023.
According to the statement, the Nomination forms will be sold at Gh₵3,000, with a non-refundable filing fee of Gh₵35,000 and a non-refundable development fee of Gh₵40,000.
However, the party has granted a 50% waiver of the filing fees charges to women, youth and persons with disabilities who would be contesting for the party’s parliamentary primaries on January 27 2024.
The statement further indicated that if under any circumstance an aspirant within a particular constituency is denied access to a nomination form, such aspirant could purchase the nomination form at the party’s regional secretariat or download it from the party’s website.
Lawyer Justin Frimpong Kodua further emphasized the New Patriotic Party’s commitment to free, fair, and transparent Parliamentary Primaries and assured the various aspirants and their supporters across the country to adhere to the rules of the party ahead of the parliamentary primaries on January 27 2024.
NPP Set January 9 2024 For The Submission of Appeals On Parliamentary Primaries
Moreover, the statement issued by the General Secretary, Lawyer Justin Frimpong-Kodua indicated that the party has earmarked January 9 2024 as the final day for the submission of appeals concerning the party’s parliamentary primaries.
While the Extraordinary Constituency Delegates’ Conference of the New Patriotic Party is scheduled for January 27, 2024, an Appeals Committee will address appeals from disqualified aspirants from January 10 to January 12, 2024.
Again, while it is not yet clear how many incumbent Members of Parliament would contest again in the party’s January 27 2024 parliamentary primaries, a number of government officials in various positions have already declared their intentions to contest their incumbent Members of Parliament.
In Dome Kwabenya, for instance Michael Oquaye Jnr. the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority has declared his intention to contest Honorable Lawyer Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, the incumbent Member of Parliament.
If the two candidates are approved by the New Patriotic Party, it will be the third time, they will be contesting against each other in the party’s parliamentary primaries in the Dome Kwabenya Constituency.
With Michael Oquaye Jnr losing the two parliamentary primaries in the constituency by losing with only eight votes in the last contest, their constest truly promises to be a very fierce and interesting race.
Another constituency in which the New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries promises to be interesting is the Akyem Swedru Constituency, where Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, the Controller and Accountant General would be seeking to unseat the incumbent Member of Parliament, Kennedy Osei Nyarko.
In the Ashanti Region, the biggest contest would be at Bantama and Asante Bekwai Constituency.
While Lawyer Ralph Agyapong the brother of the Assin Central Member of Parliament is preparing to give the incumbent member of Parliament, Asenso Boakye a fierce contest in the Bantama Constituency, the Asante Bekwai Constituency appears to be an equal level grounds between four aspirants including the Commissioner of Police (retd) Alex Mensah as the first Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu exist Parliament.
Other individuals who have declared their intention to contest the party’s parliamentary primaries to represent the party in the 2024 general elections include, the PRO of the Ministry of Education Kwasi Kwarteng, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Post, Bice Osei Kuffuor and Dr Mustapha Hamid, the Chief Executive Officer of National Petroleum Authority.
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