The National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has endorsed the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to engage in broad stakeholder consultation before announcing a date for its Presidential and Parliamentary primaries.

The planned National Executive Committee meeting to set a date and draw up modalities for the two important internal elections on the party’s calendar ended inconclusively on Thursday.

Two blocs within the party are pushing for early Congress while the other is asking the party to abide by the provisions of its constitution which mandate the party to elect a presidential candidate 12 months to a major election.

But the party says another meeting will be called to deliberate on a date.

Today’s [Thursday, February 2, 2023] meeting which had in attendance the President, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, some Members of Parliament and presidential hopefuls was expected to officially set a date for the remaining two elections on the party’s calendar.

It was also supposed to produce a date for the opening of nomination for both elections.

The much-anticipated meeting was postponed from January 31 to Thursday following the absence of many of the Council members on the earlier date.

Reports attributed to the Council said the party has set November 2023 to elect its presidential candidate, January 2024 to elect parliamentary candidates for constituencies with sitting NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) and April 2024 for constituencies without sitting NPP MPs.

The former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen has declared his intention to contest the NPP flagbearership slot. He will contest former Agriculture Minister, Dr Akoto Afriyie and former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko who have all declared their intention to contest.

On Wednesday, February 1, a former Member of Parliament for the Mampong Constituency, Francis Addai-Nimoh formally announced his intention to contest the NPP flagbearership race when nominations are opened.

The former legislator said preliminary research conducted by his team coupled with consultation and advice from some elders of the party, psyched himself to bring on board his professional knowledge and values to retain political power.