NPP-USA rejects new internal election guidelines, sticks to branch constitution

NPP-USA has resolved to conduct its 2026 internal elections under its existing Branch Bylaws, postponing consideration of the party's revised national election guidelines until its annual conference in July. According to the branch secretary, Augustine Yao Agbenaza, the decision was reached at an emergency virtual meeting of the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) held on May 27. Members voted 20 to 9 in favor of retaining the current NPP-USA Bylaws for the upcoming elections. Of the 36 members present, 4 abstained, and 2 did not respond. The resolution means the branch will organise its 2026 elections in accordance with the bylaws last amended on March 7, 2021.

The vote followed discussions over a directive issued on April 8, 2026, by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, instructing all external branches of the party to align their internal elections with revised guidelines approved by the National Executive Committee. NPP-USA identified 4 major areas of conflict between its bylaws and the national guidelines, including candidate eligibility, voter eligibility, mode of voting, and the composition of the Elections Committee. Under the branch's bylaws, a member must have maintained 4 consecutive years of good standing at both branch and chapter levels before contesting a branch executive position, while the national guidelines require 2 years of being "known and active." The branch requires 1 year of good standing before a member can vote, but the national guidelines stipulate 2 years of being "known and active." NPP-USA bylaws mandate electronic voting before the delegates conference, whereas the national guidelines permit either in-person voting or the use of the party's official electronic voting platform. The branch's constitution provides for a 5-member committee,