NPP Suspends Parliamentary Primaries over Covid-19 Fears

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has indefinitely suspended its April 25, 2020 parliamentary primaries  in adherence to the public gathering ban, in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.

The decision to suspend the primaries was taken in a National Steering Committee meeting held on Tuesday, April 14, 2020

 “The National Steering Committee, by reason of Article 10(10)(1) of the party’s constitution, is the body responsible for overseeing the daily management of the party, and thus, mandated to ‘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,” according to a release by the party’s General Secretary, John Boadu.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on April 12, 2020, extended the ban on social gathering including religious and political activities by additional two weeks, that is from April 12 to April 26, 2020, as part of measures to stop the spread of the deadly Coronavirus in the country.

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“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 release stated.

The NPP has 169 sitting Members of Parliament out of the total 275 seats in parliament.

The party has already held primaries for orphan constituencies; areas that did not have sitting Members of Parliament.