BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Council of Elders has moved to tighten oversight of the party’s upcoming presidential primaries by constituting an Ad Hoc Campaign Oversight Committee.
The intervention, announced on Monday, September 15, 2025, is aimed at preserving unity and ensuring a peaceful campaign season ahead of the crucial flagbearer elections scheduled for January 31, 2026.
The committee’s establishment follows a consultative meeting held on Thursday, September 11, 2025, between the Council of Elders and all presidential aspirants of the ruling party.
Party insiders say the move was necessary given the heightened competition among aspirants and fears of possible divisions if campaign activities are not properly regulated.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Council of Elders, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, the NPP stressed that the committee would act as a safeguard to protect the party’s values of discipline, respect, and unity during the campaign.
The statement emphasized that the NPP is determined to avoid rancorous primaries that could undermine its chances in the 2028 general elections.
The newly constituted committee will be chaired by Ing. Dr. Kwasi Abeasi, with membership including senior party figures such as Dr. Alex Glover-Quartey, Ato Hamilton, Kwadwo Afari, and Mark Opoku.
Their collective task is to:
Monitor the conduct, language, and activities of aspirants and their supporters.
Receive petitions from candidates on issues of insults, hate speech, and abusive campaign tactics.
Recommend sanctions or disciplinary measures where necessary to protect the image and unity of the party.
The Council has urged aspirants, campaign teams, and grassroots supporters to fully cooperate with the committee, cautioning that indiscipline or inflammatory conduct would not be tolerated.
This development comes against the backdrop of growing tension within the NPP over the flagbearership contest.
The January 2026 primaries will determine who succeeds President John Mahama in leading the party into the 2028 general elections, after Mahama’s unexpected alliance with the NPP on certain bipartisan reforms sparked both controversy and opportunity within Ghana’s political landscape.
Observers recall that past NPP presidential primaries have not been without acrimony.
The 2007 contest, which produced Nana Akufo-Addo as flagbearer, was fiercely competitive with over a dozen candidates, while the 2014 primaries left lingering divisions that took years to heal. Party strategists are therefore wary of repeating history at a time when the NPP is seeking to consolidate its gains and present a united front to Ghanaians.
In the statement, the Council of Elders reassured the public and party faithful that the NPP remains committed to conducting its internal elections “in a peaceful, respectful, and dignified manner that strengthens the party’s unity and readiness for national elections.”
