NPP’s Presidential Committee Chair Rejects Proxy Voting

As the largest opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) prepares to elect its flagbearer come January 31, 2026, there have been calls by party members in the diaspora to participate in the selection process through proxy voting, but the Chairman of the Presidential Elections Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu, has rejected the calls.

The Chairman, who was a former 1st deputy speaker in the 8th Parliament, posits that the decision taken by the committee is to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming presidential primaries.

Speaking to journalists, Joe Osei Owusu said the committee had carefully reviewed various appeals but concluded that lifting the ban could complicate the electoral process and open the door to disputes.

“We’ve read the petitions presented by sections of the party, and after listening to all that, we came to the conclusion that for the sake of conducting an election that is incident-free and credible, that provision should be maintained,” he stated.

“We will still not have proxy voting in the 2026 presidential primaries,” he maintained.

The NPP first announced the ban earlier this year as part of guidelines for the presidential primaries, sparking concern among members abroad and students who argue that the decision disenfranchises them.

Petitioners have asked the committee to reconsider, citing the party’s growing international footprint and the need to accommodate members who cannot be physically present.

However, the elections committee maintains that in-person voting is the most reliable system for ensuring transparency, especially in a highly competitive internal contest.

Joe Osei Owusu noted that preserving this rule would help avoid logistical challenges and bolster confidence in the outcome.