NPP opens online portal for 2028 parliamentary candidate declarations

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially opened its online portal for prospective parliamentary candidates to declare their intentions for the 2028 general elections. This initial phase of the selection process began on November 1, 2026, and provides all aspirants—including sitting Members of Parliament and new challengers—with a strict nine-day window to register. The party leadership has emphasized that the November 10 deadline is final, with no provisions for late submissions or manual applications, as the party seeks to streamline its internal democracy ahead of the next national polls.

To ensure a fair and orderly process, the NPP has instituted strict guidelines prohibiting all aspirants from engaging in active campaigning until they have been officially cleared by the party. Any breach of these regulations will attract sanctions, as the party aims to maintain discipline and avoid internal friction. The leadership has underscored that the process is designed to provide a level playing field, moving away from selection methods that may have contributed to the loss of key constituencies in previous cycles. The ultimate goal is to identify strong, experienced candidates capable of reclaiming seats currently held by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The urgency of the selection process is already being felt in specific constituencies, such as Akwatia. Bernard Owiredu Donkor, a member of the NPP Communications Team, has become one of the first to publicly announce his intention to use the portal to contest the Akwatia primary. The seat, which became vacant following the death of the NPP's Ernest Yaw Kumi in July 2025, was subsequently lost to the NDC in a September 2025 by-election. Donkor noted that the party cannot afford to repeat past mistakes and must field a candidate with the requisite experience to flip the seat back to the NPP.

Following the close of the declaration portal, the NPP plans to conduct a series of capacity-building workshops in December 2026. These sessions will be held across three zones nationwide to prepare cleared candidates for the rigours of the upcoming campaign. By prioritizing transparency and early preparation, the party hopes to build a formidable front to challenge the NDC's current parliamentary majority and secure a victory in the 2028 general elections.