NPP presidential primaries: General Secretary details rules that will govern Nov 4 elections

With the National Delegates Conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) fast approaching, the General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, has outlined some rules that will guide the elections.

He emphasised that these regulations were established by the presidential election committee to ensure fairness throughout the electoral proceedings.

During a recent press conference held in Accra on Thursday, November 4, 2023, the General Secretary noted that unlike the usual party conferences where delegates gather at a central location for speeches and voting, the upcoming presidential election will adopt a different format.

Instead of a conference, the process will resemble a typical election a walk-in vote where delegates will check their details in the electoral album and proceed to cast their votes.

“In terms of the voting process, the presidential elections committee clearly indicated how the voting will take place. Unlike our normal party conference whereby we will converge at one place and have several speakers come to address delegates before voting takes place, in this presidential election, there will be no such conference. There is going to be the normal course just like in a normal election. So, it will be in the form of a walk-in election. Then your details are checked whether your name is in the album. Once it is checked, then you move to where the electoral officers will be to cast your vote, he stated.

Additionally, Justin Frimpong Kodua detailed other regulations to be followed during the elections:

* A voting centre can have more than one polling station but on the same premises and depending on the number of delegates, the Electoral Commission may decide to create another centre, that is whereby the number of delegates exceeds thousand.

* Again, I will reiterate by saying there will be no congregation on the day of voting. It is worthy to note that no voter shall wear the colour of a contestant, that is T-shirt, branded in an aspirants picture whether cap or posters of the aspirant on the day of the voting.

* Delegates shall not be allowed to enter the voting screen or booth in group and in pairs.

* And voting shall not also take place indoors but in an open place. It will take place indoors but in public in the full glare of the public.

* A delegate who has already cast his or her vote shall not be readmitted into the voting perimeter. Any person found directing a delegate on which contestant to vote, commits an offence and shall be removed by the police.

* All voters shall leave the demarcated voting perimetres immediately after voting. It is the duty of the EC and the police to ensure that all delegates adhere to the rules as has been stated.

* No one will be allowed to take pictures of their votes. Anyone who attempts to do that will be arrested by the police and the votes will be confiscated from the person.

The forthcoming presidential primaries, scheduled for November 4, 2023, will witness the participation of four aspirants vying to lead the party in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

They are, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai-Nimoh.

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