Former Member of Parliament for Asante Mampong and one-time flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Francis Addai-Nimoh, has criticised the party's decision to hold its next presidential primaries in January 2026.

He described the move as premature, biased, and damaging to the party’s recovery efforts.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Upfront on Wednesday, Mr Addai-Nimoh argued that the NPP, having just suffered a disappointing defeat in the 2024 general elections, ought to prioritise internal reorganisation and reflection before rushing into another flagbearer contest.

"I will describe that decision as bad and a biased decision, and then an unreasonable decision," he said when discussing the primaries on the show.

"Because we have gone through this election, and just within six months, the council comes out with the decision on the conduct of the presidential primaries, why? people who are going through trauma, people who are so much pained, many of our members, grassroots members, you meet some of them and they express their desire that they even wish to join the other side of the political party. So for me, that decision is bad, biased, and unnecessary," he added.

He suggested that the planned primaries be postponed."It has to be rescinded by the national council, or it has to be put on hold its implementation so that we take our time to fix the broken."

Mr Addai-Nimoh, who contested in the NPP's 2023 presidential primaries but failed to advance to the final round, warned that an early internal contest risks deepening divisions and distracting the party from addressing the fundamental issues that led to its electoral loss.

The NPP’s National Council recently announced that its presidential primaries to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general elections will be held in January 2026. The decision has sparked debate within the party, with some members welcoming the early timeline as a way to allow adequate preparation, while others, including key figures like Mr Addai-Nimoh, have raised concerns over its implications for party cohesion and reform.