BY Issah Olegor
Former Minister of Aviation and former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has been appointed Chairperson of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) National Vetting Committee ahead of the party’s National Executive Elections scheduled for October 3, 2026.
Her appointment places her at the head of the committee responsible for scrutinising the qualifications and eligibility of all aspirants seeking to contest the party’s national executive positions.
The committee forms part of the electoral structures established by the NPP’s National Elections Committee in an updated set of rules and regulations issued on August 11, 2026. The guidelines are being implemented pursuant to Article 10(2) of the NPP Constitution and other relevant provisions of the party’s amended constitution.
Dapaah leads nine-member vetting committee
Cecilia Dapaah will lead a nine-member National Vetting Committee comprising Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Salifu Saeed, Ambassador Dr Barffour Agyei-Bawuah, Elizabeth Ohene, Osei Prempeh, Joyce Opoku Boateng and Arnold Boateng.
Evans Nimako is listed as Secretary to the committee.
The committee has been given responsibility for vetting all aspirants who seek to contest for national office. It may also recommend the disqualification of any aspirant it determines does not satisfy the eligibility requirements for election as a National Officer.
Strict eligibility requirements
The vetting exercise will be particularly important because the party has outlined several conditions that prospective candidates must satisfy before they can contest.
An aspirant must be a known and active registered member of the NPP for at least two years and must be of good character. The person must also be a member in good standing and must have paid party membership dues for at least the previous two years.
Candidates are additionally required to pay the prescribed nomination fee and must be determined by the National Vetting Committee to be qualified to contest for the particular national office.
For the National Youth Organiser position, an aspiring candidate must not have attained the age of 40.
The party has also introduced a nationwide endorsement requirement, with each nomination form required to be endorsed by at least one member in good standing from all 16 regions.
The regulations make it the responsibility of every aspirant to satisfy the National Elections Committee that he or she has met all the stipulated qualifications and eligibility requirements.
Vetting follows opening of nominations
The NPP is scheduled to open nominations for the National Executive Elections on Monday, August 17, 2026.
The nomination period will run until August 22, followed by the filing of nomination forms from August 23 to 27.
The vetting exercise under Cecilia Dapaah’s committee will take place from August 31 to September 3, with the results scheduled for publication on September 5.
The timetable means the committee will have a critical role in determining which of the aspirants who submit their nominations will qualify to proceed to the next stage of the electoral process.
Aspirants can challenge vetting decisions
The NPP’s electoral regulations provide an appeals mechanism for aspirants or party members who disagree with decisions of the Vetting Committee.
An aggrieved party member or aspirant may submit a written petition to the National Appeals Committee.
That committee is chaired by Joe Ghartey, with Rev. S.K. Boafo, Anthony Namoo, George Mireku Duker, Dr Akbar Yussif Rohullah Khomeni, Gifty Ohene Konadu, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh and Laurette Korkor Asante as members. Augustine Odei serves as Secretary.
The Appeals Committee is required to determine a petition within 48 hours. If the petitioner remains dissatisfied, a further appeal may be lodged with the National Executive Committee, whose decision is stated to be final and binding.
Nine positions at stake
The vetting exercise comes ahead of a contest for nine national executive positions.
They are National Chairperson, National Vice Chairpersons, General Secretary, National Treasurer, National Organiser, National Women Organiser, National Youth Organiser, National Nasara Organiser and National Communication Director.
The nomination fees range from GH¢8,000 to GH¢50,000. The National Chairperson position attracts the highest fee of GH¢50,000, followed by GH¢30,000 for Vice Chairpersons and GH¢25,000 for the General Secretary. Other positions attract GH¢10,000, while the special wings carry a fee of GH¢8,000.
EC to conduct October 3 election
The National Executive Elections are scheduled for October 3, 2026, with the Electoral Commission of Ghana expected to conduct the election under the supervision of the NPP’s National Elections Committee and in accordance with the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574).
The National Elections Committee itself is chaired by Frederick Opare-Ansah, with Abena Osei Asare as Vice Chairperson and other members including Oboshie Sai Coffie, Frank Davies Esq., Anthony Karbo, Salam Ama Mpianimaa Damata, Eric Ntori, the Ashanti Regional Chairman and Evans Nimako as Secretary.
