The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially settled on a consensus strategy in the Ayawaso East by-election, formally acclaims Baba Ali Yussif as its
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially settled on a consensus strategy in the Ayawaso East by-election, formally acclaims Baba Ali Yussif as its parliamentary candidate for the March 3, 2026 polls, in a move aimed at consolidating internal unity and strengthening its electoral chances in the constituency.
The decision, announced in a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, follows weeks of high-level consultations by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) with constituency leaders, regional executives, grassroots organizers and key stakeholders in the Greater Accra Region.
The process was designed to avoid internal contestation and factional divisions, which have historically weakened parties in by-elections.
To achieve this objective, the NEC constituted a Candidate Search Committee, chaired by former NPP General Secretary John Boadu, and tasked it with identifying a candidate capable of commanding broad-based support within the party and projecting strong electoral appeal beyond the party’s base.
After extensive engagements across the Ayawaso East Constituency, the committee unanimously recommended Baba Ali Yussif, the current NPP Constituency Secretary, as the most suitable candidate to lead the party into the by-election.
The recommendation was based on assessments of party loyalty, grassroots connection, organizational experience, and local acceptability.
On Sunday, February 8, 2026, the party convened an expanded Constituency Executive Committee meeting and a Delegates Conference, where the committee’s report was formally presented.
Delegates at the meeting unanimously acclaimed Baba Ali Yussif as the party’s parliamentary candidate, sealing his nomination without a contested primary.
Party officials describe the acclamation as a deliberate political strategy rather than a procedural formality—an attempt to project unity, discipline and strategic clarity in contrast to the internal tensions that have characterized recent political developments within rival parties.
The NPP’s move comes against the backdrop of intense political drama surrounding the Ayawaso East seat, following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure, and the subsequent by-election triggered to fill the vacancy.
The constituency has since become a national political battleground, shaped not only by local dynamics but also by broader national power struggles, internal party conflicts, and questions of political ethics.
While the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been embroiled in controversies arising from its internal primaries—ranging from allegations of inducement and vote-buying, factional power struggles, leadership tensions, and state-party overlap—the NPP’s approach in Ayawaso East has been deliberately framed as a stability-first strategy.
By avoiding a competitive primary and opting for consensus-building, the party is seeking to prevent internal fragmentation and focus its campaign on constituency-level issues such as representation, development, public service delivery, and political trust.
In its statement, the NPP called on party members, supporters, and sympathizers to rally solidly behind Baba Ali Yussif, describing him as the party’s “best opportunity” to secure victory in the by-election. The party also appealed directly to the electorate of Ayawaso East to vote massively for him, framing his candidacy as a chance to “restore hope, effective representation, and prosperity” to the constituency.
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