Speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam, Mr Awuku said the former Vice President is unhappy with recent developments surrounding the conduct of the primaries, particularly the removal of proxy voting, which he believes undermines fairness and inclusiveness in the internal contest.

“Dr Bawumia is not happy, especially with the elimination of proxy voting from the presidential primaries,” he said, adding that the decision risks locking out qualified delegates who cannot physically return to Ghana to vote.

According to him, proxy voting has long been part of the NPP’s internal electoral processes and should not have been scrapped without viable alternatives.

“I think the enfranchisement of proxy voters was not a wrong decision. There has always been proxy voting in our elections. Hundreds of qualified NPP voters will be disenfranchised if they are unable to travel to Ghana to vote,” Mr Awuku stated.

He argued that the Presidential Election Committee could have explored other mechanisms instead of abolishing the system entirely, including electronic or virtual voting options, especially since all aspirants have representatives within the party’s branches abroad.

“The committee could have put in place measures. It could have been electronic or virtual, because all the aspirants have representatives in our branches abroad,” he noted.

Mr Awuku warned that the implications of the decision could negatively affect party unity, stressing that the eventual flagbearer would be forced to repair internal divisions created by perceptions of exclusion.

“The danger is that the elected flagbearer will have to go back and repair the damage,” he cautioned.

Questioning the rationale behind the decision, he also challenged how the committee determines the voting choices of proxy voters in the first place.

“How is the Presidential Election Committee able to know who a proxy voter votes for or doesn’t vote for?” he queried.

Mr Awuku insisted that the move disproportionately affects Dr Bawumia, noting that the former Vice President enjoys significant support among the party’s diaspora branches.

“The development has disenfranchised hundreds of Bawumia supporters in the diaspora because we believe we are very popular with NPP branches abroad. We won the diaspora vote the last time in 2023,” he said.

He suggested the decision creates an uneven playing field, describing it as an obstacle placed in Dr Bawumia’s path.

“So it appears there is a deliberate impediment being placed between Dr Bawumia and winning the race,” he added.

The NPP is scheduled to hold its presidential primaries on January 31, 2026, to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general elections. Party leaders have repeatedly called for unity and discipline as the contest approaches.

An estimated 211,849 delegates are expected to vote at 333 centres nationwide.

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Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Adjei-Mensah Korsah said that although he respects the competence of the committee chairman, Joseph Osei-Owusu (Joe Wise), the decision is legally flawed and harmful to the party’s democratic traditions.

“I like the chairman and his leadership prowess, but he is wrong on this issue. The committee has done a great disservice to the party by taking such a hard stance. It is a dangerous precedent and could deepen the party’s problems,” he said.

He argued that proxy voting is recognised under Ghana’s electoral laws and is administered by the Electoral Commission—not political parties.

“Even during general elections, someone who is incapacitated can get help to vote. It is almost the same as proxy voting,” he explained, adding that the NPP should not attempt to override established legal principles.

Mr. Adjei-Mensah Korsah warned that banning proxy voting creates unnecessary mistrust and confusion, stressing that the party must prioritise transparency and fairness.

“There is no issue with proxy voting. No one can use it to rig an election. It’s just a misunderstanding. They should have opened up the process and addressed it once and for all,” he added.

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Speaking during the presentation of copies of the provisional register to aspirants, he said the committee had carefully reviewed all submissions but concluded that maintaining the restriction is essential to safeguarding the integrity and orderly conduct of the elections.

“We’ve read the petitions presented by sections of the party, and after listening to all that, we came to the conclusion that for the sake of conducting an election that is incident-free and credible, that provision should be maintained. We will still not have proxy voting in the 2026 presidential primaries,” he said.

The proxy ban, introduced earlier this year as part of the election guidelines, has drawn criticism from members abroad and students who argue that the rule disenfranchises committed party supporters unable to vote in person.

Petitioners had urged the committee to reconsider, insisting that the NPP’s expanding global membership should be reflected in its electoral processes. But the committee has remained firm on its position.

Osei Owusu stressed that in-person voting remains the most reliable method for a close and competitive contest, noting that it avoids logistical complications and strengthens public confidence in the final outcome.

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He insists the petition is misleading, lacks legitimacy and does not reflect the collective position of the Party’s external branches.

The Sweden Branch Chair issued the caution in a detailed submission to the NEC, following the circulation of a petition purportedly endorsed by all 30 external branches of the Party. 

The petition challenges the PEC’s directive banning proxy voting in the January 31, 2026, presidential primary, which will elect a flagbearer from among the five approved aspirants: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Bryan Acheampong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.

Mr Oti Aboagye said the petition “creates the false and misleading impression that all thirty external branches were present, represented, and in agreement,” emphasising that several branch chairpersons, including himself, did not participate in any meeting that endorsed the petition.

“Ignore the petition to restore proxy voting. It does not represent the views of the NPP Diaspora, and proxy voting poses genuine election integrity risks,” he stated.

The Sweden Chair argued that the PEC acted appropriately and within its constitutional mandate when it issued the directive.

He noted that the Presidential Elections Committee was set up by the National Council with full authority to design and implement operational rules for the primary, including measures to enhance transparency and prevent manipulation.

He further defended the PEC’s decision, stating that past elections had shown that proxy voting “opened loopholes in our internal processes,” creating verification challenges that could be exploited. Eliminating proxy voting, he said, is not only prudent but essential to ensuring a credible and dispute-free election.

Mr Oti Aboagye also criticised attempts to selectively challenge one electoral guideline while embracing others, warning that such behaviour threatens party cohesion in an election cycle where unity is critical. “Our responsibility as a Party is to defend institutional integrity, not undermine it. The PEC’s decision is a safeguard, not a threat,” he said.

He stressed that the petition’s circulation paints a false picture of division among diaspora branches, which he described as unhelpful at a time when the NPP is working to consolidate support ahead of the 2028 general elections.

The Sweden Chair reaffirmed the diaspora’s commitment to transparent internal elections, urging NEC to uphold the PEC’s authority and maintain close engagement with external branches. “We must model discipline, institutional respect, and faith in due process,” he noted.

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He claimed that the NPP has been collecting names of dead people to use in the 2020 General Election, an act he described as an attempt to rig the election.

Prof Asiedu called on NDC members to actively visit Electoral Commission (EC) offices throughout the country to ensure the removal of their deceased relatives’ names from the voters’ register.

He emphasized the need for vigilance to prevent any misuse of the deceased individuals’ data for electoral purposes.

Additionally, the NDC Chairman alleged that the Majority Leader in Parliament, who is also the MP for Effutu Constituency, has been organizing military officers to transfer their votes to Winneba.

According to Prof Asiedu, these officers are being mobilized to vote on election day rather than through special voting, with the intention of creating disruptions and influencing the election outcome.

Prof Asiedu revealed that the NDC’s intelligence gathering suggests that these military officers will be used to cause chaos on election day.

In response to these concerns, he announced that the Central Regional Branch of the NDC plans to petition both the Military High Command and the Electoral Commission to remove the names of these officers from the Effutu voters’ register.

The NPP has yet to respond to these allegations, but the claims have heightened tensions as the election approaches.