BY DANIEL BAMPOE
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has scheduled Saturday, October 3, 2026, for its National Executive Elections, setting in motion a tightly defined electoral timetable that will determine the party officials who will oversee its national organisational affairs.
The election date is contained in an update issued by the party’s National Elections Committee on August 11, 2026, under reference number NPP/HQ/2026/08/11/GS. The notice, signed by the committee’s Chairman, Frederick Opare-Ansah, was addressed to all stakeholders and copied to the National Executive Committee.
According to the document, the electoral process is being conducted pursuant to Article 10(2) of the NPP Constitution, together with other relevant provisions of the party’s amended constitution. The announcement provides a detailed timetable covering nominations, vetting, appeals and the final poll.
The nomination window will open on August 17 and close on August 22, 2026, while the filing of nominations will take place from August 23 to 27. Aspirants will subsequently undergo vetting between August 31 and September 3, with the results expected to be published on September 5.
Candidates or party members who are dissatisfied with the vetting outcomes will have September 6 and 7 to appeal. The party’s NEC/NC is scheduled for September 10, followed by the publication of the formal Notice of Poll on September 14, ahead of the October 3 election.
Nine national positions up for grabs
The election will cover nine key positions within the NPP’s national leadership structure.
These are the 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 positions are particularly significant as the NPP continues to reorganise its structures and prepare for the next phase of its political activities following its defeat in the 2024 general election. The party’s national executives will be expected to strengthen the organisation, rebuild its grassroots structures and position the party for future electoral contests.
The August 11 notice specifies that the elections will be conducted by the National Elections Committee under the supervision of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, in accordance with the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574).
Opare-Ansah leads elections committee
The National Elections Committee responsible for organising the contest is chaired by Frederick Opare-Ansah, with Abena Osei Asare as Vice Chairperson.
Other members include Oboshie Sai Coffie, Frank Davies Esq., Anthony Karbo, Salam Ama Mpianimaa Damata, Eric Ntori, the Ashanti Regional Chairman, and Evans Nimako, who serves as Secretary.
The rules also contain provisions aimed at preventing conflicts of interest. A member of the National Elections Committee is not eligible to contest in the national elections. If any committee member decides to contest, the National Executive Committee is required to appoint a replacement to the elections body.
Strict eligibility requirements for aspirants
The NPP has also outlined conditions that aspiring national executives must satisfy before they can contest.
An aspirant must have been a known and active registered member of the party for at least two years, must be of good character and must be a member in good standing. The rules further require candidates to have paid their membership dues for at least the preceding two years, paid the prescribed nomination fees and secured clearance from the National Vetting Committee.
For the National Youth Organiser position, the aspirant must be below 40 years of age.
In addition, every nomination form must be endorsed by at least one member in good standing from each of the 16 regions, placing a substantial organisational requirement on anyone seeking a national executive position.
Nomination fees range from GH¢8,000 to GH¢50,000
The party has set different fees for the various positions.
An aspirant seeking the National Chairperson position will pay GH¢50,000 for the nomination form. The fee for Vice Chairpersons is GH¢30,000, while the General Secretary position attracts GH¢25,000.
Candidates for all other national executive positions will pay GH¢10,000, while aspirants for the special wings—Nasara, Women and Youth—will pay GH¢8,000.
The party says payment will be accepted in cash or by cash cheque at its National Headquarters at Asylum Down. After payment, aspirants will receive official receipts, which must be presented before the relevant nomination forms are issued.
Although nomination forms may also be downloaded from the party’s website, candidates who use that option must still pay the prescribed fee and obtain an official receipt before their completed forms will be accepted for filing.
Vetting and appeals process established
The National Vetting Committee, chaired by Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will be responsible for scrutinising the qualifications of all aspirants.
Its members include Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Salifu Saeed, Ambassador Dr Barffour Agyei-Bawuah, Elizabeth Ohene, Osei Prempeh, Joyce Opoku Boateng and Arnold Boateng, with Evans Nimako serving as Secretary.
The committee has the authority to recommend the disqualification of an aspirant where it determines that the candidate does not satisfy the eligibility requirements for election as a national officer.
An aggrieved aspirant or party member will, however, have the opportunity to challenge a vetting decision through the National Appeals Committee.
The Appeals Committee is chaired by Joe Ghartey, with members including Rev. S.K. Boafo, Anthony Namoo, George Mireku Duker, Dr Akbar Yussif Rohullah Khomeni, Gifty Ohene Konadu, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh and Laurette Korkor Asante. Augustine Odei is the Secretary.
The committee is required to determine an appeal within 48 hours. A petitioner dissatisfied with the Appeals Committee’s decision may proceed to the National Executive Committee, whose decision will be final and binding.
Who will vote?
The election will not be decided by the entire NPP membership. Instead, the party’s constitution provides for a defined electoral college.
According to the notice, eligible voters include members of the National Council, National Executive Committee, Regional Executive Committees, Constituency Executive Committees and External Branch Executive Committees.
The electoral college will also include members of the National Council of Elders, the National TESCON Coordinator, TESCON presidents from recognised tertiary institutions, 30 elected National Patrons, founding members who are signatories to the party’s registration documents at the Electoral Commission, all NPP Members of Parliament and members of the party’s special organs.
The arrangements also make specific provisions for the party’s Women, Youth and Nasara wings.
Every female delegate to the National Delegates Conference, including TESCON Women Commissioners, will be eligible to vote for the National Women Organiser. Similarly, every youth delegate, including TESCON presidents from accredited institutions, will be eligible to vote for the National Youth Organiser.
For the National Nasara Organiser position, the electoral college will comprise the National Nasara Coordinator and deputies, former national Nasara coordinators and deputies, regional and constituency Nasara coordinators and deputies, external branch Nasara coordinators and deputies, as well as TESCON Nasara coordinators.
The party further requires at least one-third of delegates to be present to constitute a quorum of the National Delegates Conference.
With the timetable now formally announced, potential contenders have a narrow window to organise their campaigns, secure endorsements across the regions and prepare for the vetting process before the NPP goes to the polls on October 3, 2026.
The election is therefore expected to be an important test of the party’s internal organisation and its efforts to reshape its national leadership ahead of its next major electoral challenge.
