The Students Network for Nana Akufo-Addo (STUNNAD) has called on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to consider decentralising its upcoming parliamentary primaries ahead of the December general election.

According to the network, undertaking the activities at centralised electoral centres instead will help cut the cost involved.

In a statement signed by its National President, Chris Arthur and regional executives, STUNNAD said: “It will be cost-effective to hire two EC officers at every electoral area for just about an hour than to converge, transport and hire PA system, security, etc to hold the exercise at one centre in the constituency,” Aside being another way of making good use of time, the statement suggested that the method will reduce the acrimony and tension trying to characterise the primaries.

The NPP is scheduled to hold Parliamentary primaries in areas where it has sitting Members of Parliament (MP) on April 25, 2020.

The statement further touted the credentials of President Akufo-Addo saying his “sterling performance has made the ground fertile for persons going to stand on the ticket of the NPP to enter parliament with little effort.”

The network, however, found it unfortunate that “some functionaries within the NPP want to implore foul means to achieve their parochial interest to the detriment of the party. Intelligence gathered suggests these people are willing to throw caution to the wind and cause confusion at their constituency centres if primaries do not go their way.”

“We are in government now so we should not give the little chance for evil-minded people to plunge our party into another confusion. We are very much aware of the tension at various constituencies across the country.

“Some candidates are planning to cause troubles in some constituencies to tarnish the image of the party since it has become obvious that they have been rejected ahead of the exercise. We must prevent them in a smart way. The election would be done within an hour at the various electoral areas. There is no need to converge at one place and transport delegates to a center and feed them.”

The Students Network for Nana Akufo-Addo is of the view that, a similar method adopted by the NPP in the 2015 presidential primaries saw a successful process while protecting the party’s purse in the same vein.

“It was very successful and peaceful. It saves a lot of money. Let the various electoral areas meet at their usual meeting places and chose their parliamentary candidates. The EC can be paid for just an hour to conduct the election with the help of our electoral area coordinators to save cost, time, logistics and ensure improved security”.