The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it is fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and transparent presidential primary on Saturday to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general election.
The Chairperson of the party’s Presidential Elections Committee (PEC), Joseph Osei-Owusu, said all necessary arrangements had been completed to ensure a credible and incident-free exercise.
“The PEC will oversee the process, and the winner will be announced at the party’s headquarters, where contestants will pledge their support in line with the peace pact,” he said.
Mr Osei-Owusu, a former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, disclosed in an interview that the election will be conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC), with all ballot papers, electoral registers and logistics already dispatched to constituencies nationwide.
According to him, a total of 211,849 delegates are expected to vote at 333 polling centres across 276 constituencies, as well as at the party’s national headquarters. Voting will begin at 7:00 a.m. and close at 2:00 p.m.
He added that all contestants had been given copies of the electoral register, while agents and election officials had been duly accredited.
Security for the exercise, Mr Osei-Owusu said, is being handled by the Ghana Police Service to ensure a peaceful contest.
On the results process, he explained that ballots would be counted at the polling centres immediately after voting, in the presence of agents of all contestants.
“The results will be announced and declared at the polling centre, with votes recorded for each contestant,” he said.
The ballots will then be sealed and transported to district election offices, while results are transmitted to regional offices for collation. The Electoral Commission will subsequently collate the national results and declare the final outcome.
Mr Osei-Owusu said the party had established clear rules governing the elections, which had been agreed to and signed by all contestants.
“These rules include voter identification requirements, restrictions on campaign materials and vehicles near polling centres, and strict security measures to prevent irregularities,” he said.
He warned that any breach of the rules that undermines the integrity of the election could lead to the cancellation of results at affected polling stations.
“We are making sure there is complete fairness. The Electoral Commission is managing the entire process. No party executive or officer will have any role to play,” he stressed.
The PEC Chair urged delegates to vote freely and without fear, assuring them that adequate arrangements had been made for their safety.
He also cautioned delegates against taking photographs of ballot papers or sharing them on social media, warning that such actions could result in votes being declared invalid.
“Your vote is secret. Vote quietly. In the end, whoever wins represents all of us,” he said, calling on party members to maintain unity and support the eventual winner.
Source: asaaseradio.com
