The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is set to commence nominations today for aspiring parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party currently holds sitting Members of Parliament (MPs).

The nomination period, closing on December 25, 2023, will be followed by the final phase of the internal election scheduled for January 27, 2024.

Several contenders, including Michael Oquaye Jnr., Roni Nicol, Hayford Siaw, Alois Mohl, and Bice Osei Kuffuor alias Obour, have expressed readiness to vie for the party's representation in constituencies such as Dome-Kwabenya, Ablekuma West, Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Nandom, and Asante Akyem South, respectively.

Other aspirants like Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, Commissioner of Police (retd) Alex Mensah for Bekwai, and Raphael Agyapong for Bantama are also gearing up for the internal competition.

A notable focus area is the Fomena constituency, where the incumbent, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, won as an independent candidate after leaving the NPP. The situation raises curiosity about how many sitting MPs will seek re-election.

In preparation for the nominations, a statement by the NPP's General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, emphasized that no aspirant should be denied access to nomination forms. Aspirants encountering difficulties at the constituency level can purchase the forms at the regional secretariat or download them from the party's website.

Nomination forms will be available at GH¢3,000, with a non-refundable filing fee of GH¢35,000. Women, Persons with Disability, and youth (aged 18-40) will receive a 50% rebate on the filing fee. Additionally, aspirants are required to pay a non-refundable Development Fee of GH¢40,000, with all payments made in Banker’s Draft to the NPP National Headquarters in Accra.

A National Parliamentary Appeals Committee will address appeals from disqualified aspirants from January 10 to January 12, 2024, with the deadline for appeal submissions set for January 9, 2024.

Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.

NAY/FNOQ