At the end of the first week of nomination processes in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for its presidential primaries, fixed for Saturday 4 November 2023, ten aspirants have picked up nomination forms to run for the top slot.

The NPP opened nominations on 26 May and the window for filing is expected to close on Saturday 24 June. All aspirants who picked up forms paid a non-refundable nomination fee of GHC50,000.

All the candidates who have picked up forms are expected to file completed documents on or before Saturday 24 June 2023 and, in line with further requirements, they will pay a filing fee of GHC300,000.

Aspirants
As of today, Thursday 1 June, Boakye Agyarko, the former energy minister, Francis Addai Nimoh, the former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, the former general secretary of the NPP, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, an economist and former minister for regional co-operation, and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former minister of food and agriculture, have acquired forms to stand in the presidential primaries.

The other people who have also picked up forms are the vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kojo Poku, an energy expert, Alan Kyerematen, the former minister of trade and industry, Kennedy Agyapong, the sitting MP for Assin Central in the Central Region, and Joe Ghartey, the former minister of railways development and sitting Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region.
 
Super delegates
At the close of nominations on Saturday 24 June 2023, if all the ten aspirants who have picked up nomination forms go ahead to file, the NPP will hold a super delegates’ conference to trim the number of aspirants to five as required by the party’s constitution.

The NPP has already planned to hold a conference of super delegates on 26 August (a Saturday) if need be.

Under Article 12 (5) (b) of the NPP’s constitution, “where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College (super delegates) shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be shortlisted”.

The provision goes on to list those who constitute the Special Electoral College. They are “the National Council, the National Executive Committee, the Regional Executive Committees, National Council of Elders and Members of Parliament”.

The rest are “three representatives of each of the special organs of the party, past National Officers, three representatives each from every external branch, founding members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission and all New Patriotic Party card-bearing ministers when the party is in government”.