NPP to open nominations on June 6 for presidential primary

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is to open nominations for its presidential primary on June 6, this year.

The decision was affirmed after the National Executive Council of the party met at the NPP Headquarters in Accra Thursday.

The constitution of the party stipulates that the presidential candidate of the party should be in place 24 months to a general election.

In that connection, the party plans to have the primary by December 6, this year to meet that constitutional requirement.

So far, five aspirants have declared their intention to pick nomination forms to contest the flag-bearer position when nominations are opened.

They are Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2008 and 2012 presidential candidate of the party; Mr Alan Kyeremanten and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, both of who contested the position in 2008 and 2012; Mr Joe Ghartey and Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh.

Others believed to have the ambition to contest the position include Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the MP for Asuogyaman, and Mr Isaac Osei, the MP for Subin.

Already, the contest is becoming intriguing, as the camps of Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr Kyeremanten are on the field articulating the virtues and qualities of their respective candidates.

Sharing insights into the June 6 date for the opening of nominations, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, the General Secretary of party, said the NPP constitution mandated the party to open nominations six months before the presidential primary and 24 months before national elections.

He said it was the determination of the party to stick to  what the constitution demanded, saying, “The latest that the presidential primary could be held is December 6.’’

Already, there is a school of thought which wants the filing fee for the presidential primary to be pegged as high as GH¢75,000 in order not to open the floodgates so wide.

Others, however, are of a contrary view, arguing that the party is not for the highest bidder and so the filing fee ought to be GH¢25,000.

The National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Paul Afoko, who also spoke to the Daily Graphic, said the Steering Committee of the party had presented a proposal for the drawing up of a timetable for the conduct of the affairs of the party leading to the  presidential primary and beyond.

He explained that the process for the selection of deputies to assist members of the national executive had started.