Justin Kodua Frimpong
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced it will not contest the upcoming Tamale Central parliamentary by-election to replace the late Alhaji Dr. Murtala Muhammed, who was among eight people killed in the August 6, 2025 helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said the decision was taken at a National Steering Committee meeting on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the party’s headquarters, in accordance with Article 10(10) (1) of the Party Constitution.
The statement explained that the party took into account “the circumstances under which the Tamale Central seat became vacant and the possibility of further polarising the country at this critical time.”
The NPP, the statement noted, believes it would be “inhumane and unconscionable” to subject the nation to a competitive electoral process so soon after the tragic loss of the MP. The party also stressed that by-elections in Ghana are often marked by tension and acrimony, which should be avoided in this instance.
“The greatest tribute the NPP and the rest of the nation can pay in honour of the departed is not only to win the fight against galamsey but also to ensure a smooth and peaceful replacement for the good people of Tamale Central,” the statement added.
The party concluded that, in the national interest, it will not participate when the Electoral Commission opens nominations for the by-election, in accordance with Article 112(5) of the country’s Constitution.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale