NPP grants Bawumia extension for running mate announcement

Gideon Nicholas Day

December 6, 2023 5:43 PM

The National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has granted approval to Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the party's flagbearer, to defer the announcement of his running mate beyond the initially scheduled date of December 6, 2023.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia

The decision, disclosed by the party's General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, during a press conference in Accra, aligns with Article 13 of the NPP Constitution, which mandates a 12-month advance notice for the running mate before general elections.

Given that December 7, 2023, exactly marks the 12-month countdown to the 2024 elections, Dr. Bawumia, in a pivotal meeting of the NPP's National Executive Council on December 6, requested additional time to deliberate on his choice of a running mate. Mr. Kodua confirmed that the Council has honored this request and anticipates a new date from the flagbearer.

Concurrently, the Council has adjusted the date for constituency primaries involving incumbent MPs. Originally slated for January 20, 2024, the elections will now occur on January 27, 2024. Campaign activities in these constituencies will remain suspended until the approval of the 2024 budget.

Several prominent figures have emerged as potential running mates, including Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a seasoned politician and current Majority Leader in Parliament and Minister for Government Business; Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the current Chief of Staff at the Presidency; Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia South and Minister of Energy; Joseph Osei Owusu, MP for Bekwai and First Deputy Speaker of Parliament; Apostle Opoku Onyinah, the immediate past chairman of the Church of Pentecost; Isaac Osei, former MP for Subin, and Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, MP for Bosomtwe and Minister of Education.

Gideon Nicholas Day