The National Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has formed a five-member Ad hoc Committee to oversee and safeguard the integrity of the campaign process leading up to the party’s presidential primaries. The committee, chaired by Dr Kwasi Abeasi, includes Dr Alex Glover-Quartey, Ato Hamilton, Kwadwo Afari and Mark Opoku.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Council of Elders, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, the committee’s mandate is to ensure the campaign is conducted in a fair, transparent and decorous manner, consistent with the NPP’s traditions.
It will monitor aspirants’ conduct, speeches and campaign activities, while also receiving petitions on hate speech, insults and abusive language. The committee has the power to recommend sanctions, including disciplinary actions to preserve the unity and dignity of the party.
The move follows a meeting with aspirants on September 11, 2025 and comes ahead of the primaries scheduled for January 31, 2026. The Council of Elders has urged aspirants, their teams and supporters to cooperate with the committee.
Five aspirants; Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Dr Bryan Acheampong and Kwabena Agyepong are contesting the flagbearership.
The decision by the NPP’s Council of Elders to establish a committee tasked with monitoring campaign conduct is both timely and necessary. Over the years, the party’s internal contests have been marred by excessive rhetoric, name-calling and outright insults that not only strain internal unity but also damage the image of a party that prides itself on tradition and discipline.
We cannot forget how aspirants in past primaries rained unprintable words on their colleagues, words that have since resurfaced in public discourse and become weapons for political opponents. Some aspirants have built reputations not for advancing policy alternatives but for tearing down their fellow party members. This unhealthy culture must stop and the new committee represents a chance to enforce that change.
The committee’s mandate to receive petitions on hate speech, insults and abusive language is commendable. Equally important is its authority to recommend sanctions against errant aspirants and supporters. For too long, the lack of accountability has emboldened some candidates to disregard civility, knowing that the worst consequence would be a public rebuke. If the NPP is serious about preserving unity after the primaries, it must allow the committee to act decisively, without fear or favor.
Moreover, aspirants themselves must remember that they are vying for leadership of a governing party, not contestants in a verbal brawl. Their ability to debate policies, present credible visions and inspire trust will be judged not only by party delegates but by the entire Ghanaian electorate. Reducing the campaign to insults and accusations will not only fracture the NPP but also erode public confidence in its readiness to govern.
The Chronicle calls on the committee to rise above partisanship and live up to its mandate. The party’s unity and credibility in the 2028 general elections may well depend on how discipline is maintained during these primaries.
The NPP has chosen an unprecedented early congress, giving its flagbearer ample time to prepare for the national elections. That strategy will only be effective if the process that produces the candidate is fair, transparent, and dignified. Anything less will leave scars that time cannot heal.
