Setting The Record Straight: Flawed Logic And Misplaced Priorities In The Npp’s January 31 Presidential Primaries Plan As Espoused By Lawyer Frank Davies Amendment Committee Secretary (Iddi Muhayu-Deen, Esq.) – Prof Joseph Danquah

The recent communiqué from the National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announcing January 31, 2026, as the date for electing the Party’s 2028 presidential candidate has ignited spirited debate. However, the attempt to rationalise this decision, which is both constitutional and strategic, suffers from internal contradictions, logical flaws, and a selective reading of the party’s broader organisational reality.

At the heart of this matter is not whether the National Council has the constitutional mandate to fix the date for presidential primaries (it clearly does) but whether the rationale behind prioritising the presidential primaries ahead of reforms at the base, particularly the expansion of polling station executives from five (5) to seven (7), serves the long-term health, unity, and electoral success of the Party.
1. The presidential primaries cannot be treated in isolation from the base.
The claim that presidential primaries are a “standalone” process detached from the organisational structure of the party is both misleading and dangerous. While Article 5(2) of the Constitution defines the formal structure from polling station to national level, the delegates who vote in the presidential primaries are drawn primarily from that structure.
If the electoral college includes all current polling station executives, then any defect, limitation, or imbalance at that base level directly contaminates the integrity and inclusivity of the presidential primaries. Expanding the base to include two additional officers as proposed by Lawyer Frank Davies committee is not just an administrative enhancement; rather, it is a strategic imperative for reenergising the Party’s grassroots, broadening participation, and correcting past exclusionary practices that contributed to the Party’s 2024 defeat.
2. It Is Logistically and Constitutionally Feasible to Expand the Base Before January 31, 2026.
The assertion that the expansion of polling station executives must not be a condition for holding presidential primaries is legally, factually, and operationally incorrect.
Indeed, the Delegates Conference slated for July 19, 2025, which is expected to approve the limited expanded electoral college for presidential primaries, can just as easily approve the addition of the proposed two new polling station officers and authorise a polling station election within 90 days of the conference, well in time for the January 31, 2025, presidential primary.
The Party has demonstrated logistical capacity to conduct polling station elections within a few weeks using timelines and supervision guidelines. There is ample precedent: in 2018 and 2022, the party successfully conducted nationwide polling station elections within two (2) months. Nothing prevents it from doing the same between August and September 2025.
3. Avoiding the Expansion Now Is Strategically Shortsighted
The main justification offered presumes that electing a flagbearer early prevents factional interference in down-ballot internal elections and that unity will naturally emerge once a candidate is chosen. That logic ignores the real risk: selecting a presidential candidate with the old and imbalanced base will delegitimise the process and deepen apathy, especially among already disgruntled party members.
Ironically, the National Council accepts the Oquaye Committee’s recommendation for an expanded electoral college while dismissing the same committee’s suggestion that grassroots empowerment, starting with expanding the polling station executives, is the first cure for apathy.
You cannot cure grassroots apathy by first denying them voice and agency, then asking them to align themselves with a candidate they did not actively select.
4. The “Vacancy” Argument Is a Red Herring
The “vacant” nature of the flagbearer slot and the need for an “Opposition Leader” have garnered significant attention. But this does not justify bypassing foundational reforms. The flagbearer, while not a constitutional organ of the party, derives legitimacy from the grassroots electoral college, and if this base is outdated or incomplete, the flagbearer’s authority will be in jeopardy.
The party must resist the urge to create a flagbearer at all costs, only to later realise it has lost the very constituency needed to carry the flag in battle.
5. Inclusiveness Cannot Be Selective
The proposed expansion of the electoral college in the presidential primaries to include former MPs, former ministers, former MMDCEs, patrons and elders is laudable. But the hypocrisy is glaring: while the Party is ready to accommodate former office holders, it refuses to hold polling station elections, the actual lifeblood of the Party.
This smacks of top-heavy elitism and undermines the idea that the election is an “inclusive” process.
CONCLUSION: EXPAND THE BASE, THEN ELECT THE FLAGBEARER
The NPP has a golden opportunity to rebuild its internal structures with integrity. Expanding the polling station’s executives and refreshing the grassroots before electing a flagbearer would:
• Inject new energy and legitimacy into the base.
• Reduce perceptions of manipulation or imposition.
• Ensure a fair and updated Electoral College.
• Foster true unity, not forced consensus.
If the National Delegates Conference approves the polling station expansion on July 19, the Party can conduct polling station elections in August–September and be fully ready to hold a legitimate and widely accepted presidential primary on January 31, 2026.
The choice before us is clear: do we build a house from the roof down or lay a stronger foundation before choosing our next leader?
Let us not sacrifice long-term unity for short-term convenience. True reorganisation starts at the base — not at the apex.
Prof. Joseph Freeman Danquah
University of Bradford
UK