The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Presidential Elections Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu, has dismissed fears of cheating or manipulation in the party’s upcoming presidential primaries, scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr. Osei Owusu, popularly known as Joe Wise, assured that the process had been conducted with utmost transparency and integrity, and that the committee had ensured an open and inclusive process, leaving no room for foul play.
“I try to refrain from commenting on social media posts. I believe that if the contestants have real issues, they’ll bring them to us. We make sure that they are actively involved in the verification process,” he stated.
According to him, representatives of all the presidential aspirants have been present at every meeting held by the committee. “At every meeting, at least three of them had their representatives. I believe strongly that if anybody had evidence, they would have put it out,” he added.
Roadmap
He outlined the Committee’s roadmap and progress ahead of the party’s presidential primaries. He explained that the engagement was convened to provide an official update on the Committee’s work and to reaffirm its commitment to openness, accountability, and credibility.
He emphasised that the Committee considered it essential to maintain constant communication with the public, especially the media, to strengthen trust in the process.
“This interaction reflects our unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and open communication to share our activities with the public in general and, in particular, the media,” he added.
Mr. Osei Owusu reminded the press that the National Council of the Party, at its sitting on Friday, July 25, 2025, constituted the Presidential Elections Committee with a clear mandate to plan, organise, supervise, and execute the entire Presidential election process.
He stressed that from its inception, the Committee had been guided by proactive engagement, early dispute resolution, and swift communication to prevent unnecessary suspicion and to foster confidence in the integrity of the process.
He stated, “From inception, we have adhered to a zero-tolerance policy for opacity, ensuring that all issues are handled expeditiously and transparently to uphold the sanctity of the process.”
He further explained that the Committee had taken several steps to address and resolve issues promptly while maintaining open lines of communication with aspirants and other stakeholders.
Progress
Giving an overview of the Committee’s progress, Mr. Osei Owusu disclosed that a balloting exercise had been successfully conducted in collaboration with officials from the Electoral Commission of Ghana to determine the order of appearance of the aspirants on the ballot paper.
He announced that the Notice of Polls had been printed and dispatched to all regional and constituency secretariats as well as to the respective Presidential aspirants.
He added that the Committee had completed the Operational Guidelines, which will govern the primaries, and that these would soon be presented to the aspirants, their representatives, and key stakeholders for their compliance.
Mr. Osei Owusu also highlighted the Committee’s engagements with the Electoral Commission and the Ghana Police Service, describing them as highly productive. According to him, “These consultations have yielded highly productive outcomes, ensuring the process remains orderly, peaceful, and credible.”
Security
Speaking on security arrangements, he explained that the Ghana Police Service had been granted exclusive jurisdiction over the election security on the day of the primaries. He made it clear that no private or unauthorised security arrangements will be permitted at any voting centre.
“Access to voting areas will be restricted to delegates, accredited Presidential aspirants’ agents and electoral officials only,” he said, adding that all other persons will be required to remain outside the designated security perimeters.
The Chairman further explained that the Electoral Commission will supervise the entire conduct of the primaries, including the printing, distribution, and monitoring of ballot papers, as well as the enforcement of the operational guidelines.
He indicated that to guarantee neutrality and fairness, the Commission had been tasked with recommending voting centres or venues, which would then be presented to the aspirants or their accredited representatives for their attention and consideration.
Providing an update on the verification process, Mr. Osei Owusu announced that the nationwide voter album verification and validation exercise covering all constituencies and external branches had been successfully concluded.
He stated that during the exercise, some minor discrepancies related to information technology and clerical tasks were identified, including omissions, misspelled names, and inaccurate entries for voter identification and telephone numbers.
However, he assured that “These are purely administrative in nature and do not in any way affect the integrity or credibility of the voter register.”
Satisfaction
He expressed satisfaction that all such issues were being rectified and revealed that all aspirants would be furnished with the provisional voter register on Thursday, November 13, 2025. He added that two weeks would be provided for verification, observations, and feedback before finalising the register.
The Chairman expressed deep appreciation to the Presidential aspirants, the Electoral Commission, the Ghana Police Service, the media, and all-party stakeholders for their continuous cooperation and constructive feedback.
He reiterated the Committee’s determination to ensure a fair and credible process, saying, “As we advance toward the 2026 Presidential primaries, we reaffirm our unflinching dedication to a free, fair, transparent, and credible electoral process, one conducted without fear, favour, or bias.”
He appealed to all aspirants, their supporters, and the media to act responsibly in their public commentary and to avoid circulating unverified information that could cast doubt on the integrity of the process.
He added, “Together, we will uphold the NPP’s tradition of democratic excellence and institutional discipline. Long live the New Patriotic Party. Long live the Republic of Ghana.”
