Dr Bernard Tutu-Boahene, a lecturer and political marketing consultant at the University of Ghana Business School, says the decision by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to decentralise its Special Electoral College Election will not affect the candidates and the electoral process.
He said the decision after the National Council Meeting on Thursday “is a sign of unity” for the Party ahead of the crucial contest to prune the aspirants to five in accordance with the Party’s constitution.
The NPP will hold the Special Congress on August 26, 2023.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Tutu-Boahene, urged the Party leadership to encourage all the aspirants to actively participate in the electoral process to ensure transparency and avoid “ill feelings”.
“I don’t think the decision will affect the candidates or election in any way. All that the aspirants are expected to do is strategise well, put strong structures in place to ensure that their participation will be fair,” he said.
Dr Tutu-Boahene said the Party must ensure that the aspirants and their supporters disseminated messages that would not stain the Party and cautioned that such messages could serve as a weapon for their opponents.
“In political marketing, you don’t tell the people you were not part of failed policies; once you identify as a member of the Party, then it means that your performance cannot be relied upon when you are voted into power,” he said.
After hours of deliberations at the NPP’s National Council Meeting in Accra on Thursday, the Party announced that it had decided to hold its Special Congress at the regional level.
The Congress, which would reduce the ten aspirants to five, would precede the main presidential primaries scheduled for November 4, 2023.
About 900 delegates will participate in the Special Congress.
Earlier, nine of the presidential aspirants had petitioned the Party to hold the August 26 elections at one venue to among other reasons reduce cost burden on the part of the aspirants.
The nine aspirants are: Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Kwadwo Poku; Boakye Kyerematen Agyarko and Kwabena Agyei Agyapong; Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku; Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie; Joe Ghartey, and Francis Addai-Nimoh.
Addressing journalists After Thursday’s National Council Meeting, Mr Justin Kodua Frimpong, the General Secretary of the NPP, said the Council held that the precedent set in 2014 should stand.
“This means that the Special Delegates College will be held in the various regions except for one that would be held at the headquarters for national officers, external branches and members of the National Council of Elders,” he explained.
