NPP introduces early eligibility checks for 2028 parliamentary aspirants at GH¢2,000 fee

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has introduced a GH¢2,000 fee for prospective parliamentary candidates, including sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), to declare their intention to contest the party’s primaries ahead of the 2028 general elections. The party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, announced the measure at a press conference on Thursday, October 29, 2026, describing it as a first in Ghana’s political landscape.

“The party, as usual, has always been the pace setter. And this is the first time that we are doing something of this sort in our political dispensation,” he said. The process is scheduled to run from November 1 to November 10, 2026, through the party’s designated portal, PPC.nppghana.org. The fee introduces an additional financial requirement before the formal nomination process begins, raising questions about its potential implications for participation, particularly among aspirants with limited financial resources.

A screening measure or a financial barrier? The NPP says the declaration process will help establish the eligibility of prospective candidates before nominations formally open. However, the GH¢2,000 fee could add to the financial demands facing those seeking parliamentary office within the party. Young people, women and aspirants from less affluent backgrounds may face greater difficulty meeting such requirements, even before the costs associated with campaigning and the formal nomination process arise.

The issue also intersects with wider concerns about money in Ghanaian politics. The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) has warned that financial demands in internal party elections can limit the participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities. Whether the new fee will significantly affect participation will depend partly on the financial circumstances of prospective aspirants and whether the party introduces measures to address potential barriers.

The declaration requirement also gives the party an opportunity to begin checking prospective candidates’ eligibility before the formal nomination stage. Mr Kodua Frimpong said the party would assess aspirants against its constitutional requirements and applicable Ghanaian laws. “We also check the laws of our country to make sure that any person who intends to be nominated as our parliamentary candidate also meets the requirement set forth by the laws of our country,” he said.

The move comes as the NPP prepares for its parliamentary primaries, which are expected to draw both sitting MPs seeking re-election and new contenders hoping to represent the party in 2028. The party’s internal electoral processes have previously attracted concerns over allegations of vote-buying and financial inducements. The declaration exercise, however, does not by itself establish whether such practices will be reduced.

Its impact will depend on how the party implements the process and enforces its rules throughout the primaries. The NPP has stressed that declaring an intention to contest is separate from formally opening nominations and does not authorise aspirants to begin campaigning. “Declaration of intent does not mean that a person has the right to go around and campaign in various constituencies.

We have still not opened nominations,” Mr Kodua Frimpong said. The distinction is intended to prevent prospective candidates from treating the declaration period as the start of the campaign season. The party has yet to open formal nominations, which will be followed by the relevant screening and vetting procedures. Prospective parliamentary candidates, including sitting MPs, are expected to use the November 1–10 window to register their intention to contest and pay the required fee.

The party is also scheduled to conduct a zoning exercise from November 1 to December 4, 2026, before proceeding with the subsequent stages of its electoral process. The new arrangement will test the NPP’s ability to establish an orderly process for selecting parliamentary candidates while ensuring that the initial requirements do not unnecessarily restrict participation.