The New Patriotic Party’s USA Branch (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.
In a letter to the party Chairman, the Branch Secretary, Augustine Yao Agbenaza, said the decision was reached at an emergency virtual meeting of the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) held on May 27.
According to the branch, members voted 20 to 9 in favour of retaining the current NPP-USA Bylaws for the upcoming elections. Of the 36 members present, four abstained, and two 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 branch also directed its secretariat to formally communicate the decision to the national leadership in Ghana in a manner it described as respectful and diplomatic, aimed at maintaining institutional harmony.
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 four major areas of conflict between its bylaws and the national guidelines.
The first relates to candidate eligibility. Under the branch’s bylaws, a member must have maintained four consecutive years of good standing at both branch and chapter levels before contesting a branch executive position.
The national guidelines, however, require two years of being “known and active.”
A second disagreement concerns voter eligibility. While the branch requires one year of good standing before a member can vote, the national guidelines stipulate two years of being “known and active.”
The third issue involves the mode of voting. 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 final area of disagreement concerns the composition of the Elections Committee. The branch’s constitution provides for a five-member committee, while the national framework proposes a three-member body.
During deliberations, members advanced different views on the way forward. Some argued that the branch’s bylaws remain the supreme governing document and cannot be altered without following the amendment procedures outlined in its constitution. Others stressed the need to respect the national party’s authority while maintaining constructive engagement.
A third group proposed adopting provisions that do not conflict with the branch constitution and referring broader amendments to the annual conference.
The committee ultimately agreed that, where valid bylaws exist and have not been formally amended, they remain the governing framework for branch activities.
The branch said it remains open to harmonising its rules with the national guidelines but insisted that any amendments must follow the constitutional process, including prior notice to chapters and approval by at least two-thirds of delegates at conference.
The matter is expected to feature prominently at the NPP-USA Annual Branch Conference scheduled for July 24 to 26 in Massachusetts, where delegates will also consider possible amendments to the branch constitution.
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