The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s Sweden Branch, Mr Richard Oti Aboagye, has urged the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) to ignore a petition seeking the reinstatement of proxy voting in the NPP’s upcoming presidential primary.
He insists the petition is misleading, lacks legitimacy and does not reflect the collective position of the Party’s external branches.
The Sweden Branch Chair issued the caution in a detailed submission to the NEC, following the circulation of a petition purportedly endorsed by all 30 external branches of the Party.
The petition challenges the PEC’s directive banning proxy voting in the January 31, 2026 presidential primary, which will elect a flagbearer from among the five approved aspirants: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Bryan Acheampong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
Mr Oti Aboagye said the petition “creates the false and misleading impression that all thirty external branches were present, represented, and in agreement,” emphasising that several branch chairpersons, including himself, did not participate in any meeting that endorsed the petition. “Ignore the petition to restore proxy voting. It does not represent the views of the NPP Diaspora, and proxy voting poses genuine election integrity risks,” he stated.
The Sweden Chair argued that the PEC acted appropriately and within its constitutional mandate when it issued the directive. He noted that the Presidential Elections Committee was set up by the National Council with full authority to design and implement operational rules for the primary, including measures to enhance transparency and prevent manipulation.
He further defended the PEC’s decision, stating that past elections had shown that proxy voting “opened loopholes in our internal processes,” creating verification challenges that could be exploited. Eliminating proxy voting, he said, is not only prudent but essential to ensuring a credible and dispute-free election.
Mr Oti Aboagye also criticised attempts to selectively challenge one electoral guideline while embracing others, warning that such behaviour threatens party cohesion in an election cycle where unity is critical. “Our responsibility as a Party is to defend institutional integrity, not undermine it. The PEC’s decision is a safeguard, not a threat,” he said.
He stressed that the petition’s circulation paints a false picture of division among diaspora branches, which he described as unhelpful at a time when the NPP is working to consolidate support ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The Sweden Chair reaffirmed the diaspora’s commitment to transparent internal elections, urging NEC to uphold the PEC’s authority and maintain close engagement with external branches. “We must model discipline, institutional respect, and faith in due process,” he noted.
