2026 NPP Primaries: National Council decision biased, unreasonable – Addai-Nimoh

A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Francis Addai-Nimoh, has strongly criticised the party’s National Council over its decision to fix January 31, 2026, for the election of a new flagbearer ahead of the 2028 general elections.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Upfront on Wednesday, July 2, he described the decision as “bad,” “biased,” and “unreasonable,” arguing that the party needs time to heal and rebuild following what he called a “brutal” defeat in the 2024 general elections.

“We have gone through this election, and just within six months, the Council comes out with a decision for the conduct of presidential primaries—why?” he asked.

“People are going through trauma, people are so much pained, many of our members at the grassroots express the desire that they even wish to get to the other side of the political party. So that decision, for me, is bad, is biased, and unnecessary.”

Mr Addai-Nimoh called on the party leadership to reconsider the decision or halt its implementation altogether, stressing the need for introspection and healing.

“It has to be rescinded by the National Council, or it has to be put on hold… so that we take our time to fix the broken,” he urged.

Reacting to arguments that an early primary would give the eventual flagbearer ample time to campaign and court the sympathy of voters, Mr Addai-Nimoh rejected the rationale as fundamentally flawed.

He cited the example of President John Mahama, who successfully contested the 2012 general elections just months after becoming the National Democratic Congress’ flagbearer.

“Whoever comes up with that reason, it’s a faulty reason, it is untenable,” he said.

“Did John Mahama get enough time in 2012 as flagbearer of the NDC to win the 2012 general election? He became president on July 24, 2012, and in August 2012, he was made the flagbearer. So he had about three months.”

According to him, former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who led the NPP in the 2024 elections, had been at the forefront of political activities for 16 years and had campaigned in nearly every constituency in Ghana.

“So the reason that we should elect the flagbearer on January 31 so that the flagbearer can have sufficient time—let’s say, three years—to campaign, for me, is untenable. It’s a flawed one,” Mr Addai-Nimoh said.

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