The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has suspended indefinitely its parliamentary primaries due to the ban on social gatherings as part of national efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was initially slated for April 25, 2020, to elect parliamentary candidates in 169 constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) ahead of the 2020 general elections.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was to be acclaimed as the presidential candidate for the party, at a national congress to be held simultaneously across the country, since he was the sole contestant.
A statement issued by the party’s General Secretary, John Boadu in Accra on Tuesday said the decision to defer the event was taken at a National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting held same day.
It said the changes was in line with Article 10(10)(1) of the party’s constitution, which mandates the committee to oversee the daily management of the party, and “act on behalf of the party on urgent matters’ such as in the circumstances we find ourselves as a party and nation owing to the Covid-19 pandemic”.
President Nana Akufo-Addo on April 12, 2020, extended the lockdown in some parts of Greater Accra by one week, while the ban on social gathering including religious and political activities was also extended by additional two weeks as part of measures to stop the spread of the deadly Coronavirus in the country.
“In the light of this development, the party is unable to hold the primaries as planned, and has accordingly postponed same till further notice.
The party regrets all inconveniences that this may occasion, and hopes to hold this crucial exercise, sooner than later,” the statement stated.
The NPP on Saturday, September 28, 2019, conducted parliamentary primaries in 100 “orphan constituencies”, where the party lost the 2016 parliamentary elections to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and therefore had no sitting MPs.
The NPP has I69 seats out of the total 275 seats in Parliament.
John Boadu, NPP General Secretary
