NPP does not want 2020 general elections postponed – John Boadu

General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu has said his party would not buy into the idea of a possible postponement of the December 2020 General Elections due to the continuous stay of COVID-19 in Ghana.

He argues the party in government has executed its mandate faithfully and would want to avail itself to the verdict of the people at a time that falls within the confines of the constitution and so would not hide behind a pandemic to demand that the date be pushed farther, though “it is early days yet”.

It remains unclear whether the December 2020 elections would come on as the case count for the deadly coronavirus continues to rise in Ghana, putting in limbo a planned compilation of a new voters register by the Electoral Commission.

Meanwhile, the NPP has indefinitely suspended its well-publicized April, 25 presidential and parliamentary primaries due to the deadly Coronavirus and a ban on public gathering.

“The National Steering Committee, by reason of Article 10(10)(1) of the party’s constitution, is the body responsible for overseeing the daily management of the party, and thus, mandated to 'act on behalf of the party on urgent matters' such as in the circumstances we find ourselves as a party and nation owing to the COVID-19 pandemic,” a statement from the party on Tuesday read.

The statement although didn’t mention when the elections would be held, but John Boadu says “it would not come on as long as COVID-19 stays with us and there is a freeze on social gatherings; it would be organized in haste immediately we are able to conquer the disease and that is not in doubt”.

The Presidency was expected to go unopposed and was expected to be endorsed by delegates for the political party.