NPP-UK North London Member Petitions Party to Create Diaspora Polling Centres for Presidential Primaries

A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the United Kingdom, Thomas Oheneba Kwame Boakye of the NPP-UK North London Chapter, has petitioned the party’s national leadership to consider the creation of polling centres in Diaspora branches ahead of the upcoming Presidential Primaries.

In a formal letter addressed to the General Secretary of the NPP, Lawyer Justin Kodua Frimpong, Mr. Boakye appealed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Presidential Elections Committee to allow NPP members abroad to participate in the internal elections without the financial and logistical burden of travelling to Ghana.

He noted that based on recent communications, proxy voting may not be permitted in the forthcoming elections—a decision he described as transparent but challenging for many dedicated members living outside Ghana.

“While this measure may be necessary to enhance transparency, it presents significant logistical and financial challenges for many loyal members in the Diaspora who have consistently supported and served our great party,” Mr. Boakye stated in his petition.

According to him, the travel costs, visa applications, and related expenses involved in returning to Ghana solely to vote make it almost impossible for some members abroad to exercise their franchise. He therefore proposed the establishment of designated Diaspora Polling Centres, to be supervised under strict party and electoral guidelines.

Mr. Boakye emphasized that this initiative would:

Deepen inclusivity and representation within the party.

Ease the financial burden on Diaspora members.

Encourage greater engagement and ownership among branches abroad.

Strengthen unity and mobilisation ahead of the 2028 general elections.

“Allowing members abroad to vote at designated Diaspora Polling Centres, under proper supervision, would ensure broader participation and further strengthen the democratic spirit of the NPP,” he added.

He appealed to the national leadership to “review this matter with the seriousness it deserves” and adopt a framework that allows members abroad to fully exercise their voting rights “without unnecessary hardship.”

The petition, dated November 8, 2025, was copied to the Chairman of the NPP Presidential Elections Committee, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu, the External Affairs Directorate, the Branch Chairman of NPP-UK North London, Mr. Kingsley Adumattah Agyapong, and the Branch Secretariat.

The call by Mr. Boakye adds to growing sentiments among NPP members in the Diaspora who have over the years contributed significantly to the party’s development through mobilisation, fundraising, and advocacy. Many believe that extending voting rights to the Diaspora would be a major step in enhancing the party’s democratic inclusiveness and global unity.