Joseph Osei-Owusu
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Elections Committee has announced that it will provide all presidential aspirants with a provisional voters’ register on Thursday, November 13, 2025, for verification before finalising it for public exhibition.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Accra, the Chairman of the Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, stated that aspirants would have two weeks to review the register, make observations, and provide feedback.
He explained that the measure is intended to promote transparency, fairness, and credibility in the party’s upcoming presidential primaries to be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
On Friday, July 25, 2025, the National Council of the party established the Presidential Elections Committee with the mandate to plan, organise, supervise, and execute the presidential election process.
Mr. Osei-Owusu further disclosed that party members who have forfeited their membership under Article 391 of the party’s constitution would be excluded from participating in the primaries, while adopting a strict policy framework to proactively address and resolve all concerns as well as maintaining open and transparent communication to prevent suspicion.
“We have taken several steps to ensure that every issue is handled swiftly and transparently to uphold the sanctity of the process. Such individuals shall not take part in the presidential election on January 31, 2026,” he stated.
Touching on some activities the committee has completed so far, Mr. Osei-Owusu said the Elections Committee, in collaboration with officials of the Electoral Commission of Ghana have successfully conducted a balloting exercise to determine the order in which candidates will appear on the ballot, with notices of poll printed and distributed to all regional and constituency secretaries, as well as to the respective presidential aspirants.
He said the committee has also completed comprehensive operational guidelines for the primaries, which will soon be presented to aspirants or their representatives and other key stakeholders for compliance.
The chairman noted that the committee has also held productive engagements with both the Electoral Commission and the Ghana Police Service to ensure that the election process remains orderly, peaceful, and credible.
He also added that the Ghana Police Service has been granted exclusive authority over election-day security, adding that no private or unauthorised security arrangements will be allowed at any voting centre, as access to voting areas will be limited to delegates, accredited presidential aspirants or their agents, and electoral officials.
“The Electoral Commission will oversee the entire conduct of the primaries, including the printing, distribution, and monitoring of ballot papers, as well as the enforcement of operational guidelines. To ensure neutrality, the Commission has also been tasked with recommending suitable voting centres or venues, which will then be shared with candidates or their accredited representatives for consideration,” the party stated.
Mr. Osei-Owusu said the committee during a recent validation exercise covering all constituencies and external branches identified some IT and clerical discrepancies, including omissions, misspelled names and inaccuracies.
He said those issues have been rectified, and were purely administrative and had no effect on the credibility of the register.
The chairman also stated that the committee will hold a meeting with presidential candidates to discuss the roadmap, guidelines, and assurances of fairness and transparency ahead of the January 2026 primaries.
Mr. Osei-Owusu disclosed that a joint conference involving presidential candidates, the Electoral Commission, and the Ghana Police Service will also be held in addition to a peace pact signing ceremony between the presidential aspirants, National Council of Elders, and former presidents to promote unity ahead of the primaries.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah