The vetting of 47 aspirants contesting the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2026 National Officers Elections begins on Monday, August 31, following the closure of nominations on Saturday.

The vetting, which will run until Thursday, September 3, is the next major stage in the party’s internal electoral process.

The National Officers Elections Committee (NOEC) said 47 of the 50 aspirants who purchased nomination forms successfully filed their completed forms before the 6:00 p.m. deadline on Saturday, August 29.

Three aspirants, however, did not complete the filing process.

They are Bernard Antwi Boasiako, who intended to contest the National Chairperson position; Evans Kodom, who sought to become National Communications Director; and Perpetual Ekua Lomokie Akwada, who purchased a form to contest the National Women Organiser position.

Mr Boasiako formally withdrew his candidature, while Mr Kodom stepped out during the filing of Dennis Miracles Aboagye’s nomination.

Ms Akwada, on the other hand, failed to submit her completed forms before the deadline.

As a result, Mr Aboagye is now the only aspirant for the National Communications Director position and will proceed to the vetting stage as a potentially unopposed candidate, subject to successfully completing the vetting process and satisfying all applicable requirements.

Vetting schedule

The four-day exercise will be conducted according to the various positions being contested.

Candidates for National Chairperson, General Secretary and National Treasurer will appear before the Vetting Committee on Monday.

National Vice Chairperson aspirants will follow on Tuesday, while candidates for National Organiser and National Youth Organiser will be vetted on Wednesday.

Aspirants for National Communications Director, National Nasara Organiser and National Women Organiser will appear before the committee on Thursday.

The Vetting Committee is chaired by former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The exercise will determine whether the 47 aspirants who successfully filed their nominations meet the requirements to proceed to the next stage of the party’s electoral process.

Three aspirants bow out

The completion of the filing process has reduced the number of active aspirants from the initial 50 who purchased nomination forms to 47.

Mr Boasiako’s withdrawal means the race for National Chairperson will proceed without his candidature, while Mr Kodom’s decision to step aside leaves Mr Aboagye as the sole candidate for National Communications Director.

Ms Akwada’s failure to submit her completed forms before the deadline similarly brings her bid for National Women Organiser to an end.

The NOEC has urged all aspirants and their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that promotes party unity as the electoral process progresses.

It said it remained committed to ensuring an “orderly, fair, transparent and credible” process and called on all stakeholders to have confidence in the process.

The vetting is expected to provide the first formal test for the 47 aspirants seeking to become the NPP’s next national officers as the party continues its reorganisation ahead of the 2028 general election.