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Patrick Boamah, Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, has expressed reservations over the decision by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to hold its presidential primaries early, scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV on Monday, June 23, 2025, Mr. Boamah cautioned that rushing the process without addressing key party concerns could create disunity after the primaries.
“I’ve been in this business way before the current General Secretary,” he stated. “I was in Sunyani for the election of President Kufour. The contestants at the time, Malik Alhassan Yaqubu, J.H. Mensah, J. A Kufour, Nana Akufo-Addo, the big boys in the party. They all respected the will of the congress, that elected President Kufour, because they put in place the right measures and everybody saw the transparency in the process and they respected the party’s choice.”
Mr. Boamah stressed that for the party to emerge united after the primaries, the process must be credible and inclusive.
“My view is that if you don’t take care and you purport to rush the process and somebody feels the process was skewed one way or the other because the electoral college was not reformed to reflect their times. How can you call that person to come and join a campaign? That must be a source of worry to any of the aspirants who are declaring or who have declared so far that you need to carry the entirety of the party, the spirit and the body of the party behind you,” he said.
He cited the example of the 2014 primaries, where despite losing to Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan Kyerematen showed party loyalty by following Akufo-Addo across the country during the campaign and even introducing him at rallies, all because the process was seen as free and fair.
His remarks come amid internal discussions about the party’s preparedness to conduct the presidential primaries. Some party members argue that outstanding internal issues must be resolved first to avoid tensions.
The NPP’s upcoming primaries are expected to be fiercely contested, with several high-profile members already in the race. These include former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong.
The rest are former Essikado-Ketan MP Joe Ghartey, Education Minister and Bosomtwe MP Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Mampong MP Addai Nimo, and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
The primaries, set for January 31, 2026, are seen as a crucial step as the NPP seeks to regroup and mount a strong challenge for a return to power after its defeat in the 2024 general elections.
