President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to use Saturday’s internal polls to prove to the world that Ghana’s Electoral Commission can still hold free, fair and transparent elections even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a goodwill message to the party ahead of the parliamentary primaries, President Nana Akufo-Addo told all the parliamentary aspirants, delegates and members of the NPP that he expects the party to emerge stronger and more united after the internal polls.

“I wish all our aspirants the very best of luck and I urge all who are involved in the process to ensure that the elections are held in a free, fair and peaceful manner”, the President said, adding: “In particular, let us respect the enhanced hygiene and social distancing protocols the EC has put in place to guarantee our safety and to prove to all that in spite of COVID-19, our nation can conduct an electoral process where the sanctity of the ballot of preserved”.

He said on Saturday, “there will be no individual winners, neither will there be losers”.

“It is the NPP that must emerge stronger, united and victorious”, the President added, noting: “We have a collective responsibility to demonstrate to the country, once again, our credentials of being the party with the strongest attachment to the principles of democratic accountability”.

“We dare not fail the Ghanaian people”, he charged the party.

“So, let us join hands in the aftermath of the primaries to advance the principles and ideals of our party, the realisation of which are essential to the freedom, progress and prosperity of the Ghanaian people. We must remember at all times that we are the only party capable of supervising the transformation our economy and nation that all Ghanaians want”.

“One again I wish the party and all the parliamentary aspirants the very best of luck and God’s blessings. May God bless our homeland Ghana and make us great and strong”.

Saturday’s polls will be electoral area-based as part of measures to ensure social distancing protocols.

The six-hour polls will start from 7 am and end at 1 pm.

Some 374 aspirants (325 males and 51 females) are running for 168 constituencies.

However, 67 of them would be acclaimed since they are going solo.