NewzThe opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will not force any aspirant to withdraw from its parliamentary primaries as the party explores ways to identify candidates capable of winning seats in the 2028 general elections. NPP Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye said discussions and negotiations with potential aspirants are part of the electoral process and do not amount to forcing anyone to step aside. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, he said the party would assess the circumstances in each constituency before determining the appropriate approach to selecting its parliamentary candidate.
“Nobody is asking anybody anywhere to step down. We are saying that discussions, negotiations, conversations are all parts of democracy and the electoral process,” he said. His comments follow a disclosure by NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia that the party has begun scouting for potential parliamentary candidates across constituencies ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Dr Bawumia said the initiative is intended to identify candidates with the potential to win parliamentary seats, rather than relying solely on the outcome of internal primaries. According to him, some aspirants may have the financial resources to win an NPP parliamentary primary but may not necessarily be capable of winning the subsequent general election. Mr Aboagye explained that while some constituencies may have several capable aspirants who would have to compete through the ballot, others may require consensus-building among potential candidates.
“There are some constituencies when you go, you identify about four or five capable people. What it means is that all of four or five of them have the capacity to win the seat. You have to put them into the ballot,” he said.
He stressed that there would be no one-size-fits-all approach, with the circumstances and dynamics of each constituency determining how the party proceeds. “Election is not the only option in democracy. Negotiations are part of democracy.
Sitting down and agreeing to certain things are all parts of democracy,” he said. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will engage popular individuals who are not active in politics as part of efforts to identify potential parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2028 general elections.NPP Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye said the party is assessing constituencies to identify individuals with the strongest potential to secure parliamentary seats for the party.Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, he said some popular figures within communities may not have considered entering politics but could be encouraged to contest if the party determines that they have the support needed to win.“The party has already started conversations long before now on ensuring that for every constituency, a proper calibration is done to identify person or persons who have the biggest capacity or chance to win the election,” he said.Mr Aboagye explained that the strategy could also involve discussions with previous NPP parliamentary candidates who narrowly lost the 2024 elections, particularly where internal disagreements may have affected the party’s performance.He said the party would consider the dynamics of each constituency rather than applying a uniform approach to the selection of parliamentary candidates.“There are some constituencies when you go, you identify about four or five capable people. You have to put them into the ballot,” he said.He added that in other constituencies, the party could engage popular individuals, including those without political backgrounds, and encourage them to contest where they are considered capable of winning the seat.Mr Aboagye said the approach forms part of the strategy outlined by NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who has disclosed that the party has begun scouting for potential parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2028 elections.
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