The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) National Council has agreed Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s request for more time to choose a running mate for the 2024 general election.
The NPP’s constitution states that the vice-presidential candidate must be chosen at least 12 months before general elections if the party was not in government or when the president was not the candidate.
The National Council, which has the power to make exemptions to the party’s rules, after an emergency meeting on Wednesday, agreed with Dr Bawumia’s plea for more time to select his running mate.
Speaking to the media following the emergency meeting of both the National Council and the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Accra, Justin Kodua Frimpong, general secretary of the NPP, revealed that the National Council concurred with Dr Bawumia’s proposal.
He stated that the National Council agreed to the vice-president’s request because his election as the party’s flagbearer took place on 4 November 2023, and he would need time to consult before presenting his choice for running mate to the body.
He said that party’s constitution, particularly article 13 (3)(2) stipulates that “the vice-presidential candidate shall be a known and active member at least five years and shall be nominated by the presidential candidate at least 12 months before general elections when the party is not in government, or the president is not the candidate.”
“The National Council may, however, dispense with this requirement under special circumstances. From the interpretation of this article, it presupposes that today should have been the day our leader of the party and our presidential candidate should have presented his running mate to the national council.”
“However, upon request from the presidential candidate that because his election was done on the 4th of November 2023, he needs a bit of time to continue with his consultation before he brings the proposed name for running mate to the national council,” he said.
Kodua Frimpong also stated that the NEC resolved to shift the date of primaries for sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) from 20 January 20 to 27 January 2024.
Thus, the new date for elections where the party had sitting MPs would be 27 January 2024.
He said that the NEC heeded the call of the party’s sitting MPs to suspend campaign activities in their constituencies so that they could focus on the government’s budget, which was presented to parliament by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to Kodua Frimpong, the party also used the opportunity to remind officers, particularly delegates for the next parliamentary primaries, of their need to remain members in good standing, which required that their dues must be current.
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