The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it has completed preparations for its presidential flagbearer election scheduled for January 31, 2026, with robust security arrangements and assurances from all candidates that the process faces no threats.
Joseph Osei-Owusu, chairman of the NPP’s Presidential Election Committee and former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the Ghana Police Service will deploy between 70 and 150 officers at each polling station, complemented by patrol teams and rapid response units on standby.
Speaking in an interview, Osei-Owusu said the committee’s work had been concluded “satisfactorily” and had been openly praised by representatives of all contestants. He said the candidates, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Bryan Acheampong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyapong, had all assured the committee that there were no security threats ahead of the vote.
“As at today, everything that we have to do as a committee, we have done it satisfactorily,” Osei-Owusu said, adding that responsibility has now been handed over to the Electoral Commission and the security agencies.
He recalled that initial discussions envisaged deploying about 10 police officers per polling station, but security officials later proposed significantly higher numbers, a move he described as reassuring. He urged party supporters and candidates not to bring any private security, stressing that police preparations were sufficient.
Osei-Owusu said the committee had worked swiftly and transparently, and appealed to the Electoral Commission and security agencies to maintain the same standards of openness and fairness during the conduct of the election.
The NPP flagbearer contest is seen as a key milestone as the party prepares for the next general election.