Former Mampong Member of Parliament (MP), Francis Addai-Nimoh, has officially withdrawn from the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) upcoming flagbearer contest, describing the financial demands imposed on aspirants as “unreasonable and unhealthy.”
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, Mr. Addai-Nimoh expressed concern over what he termed the growing monetisation of internal party elections.
He revealed that the total cost imposed on aspirants for the 2026 presidential primaries amounted to about GH₵4.6 million, excluding campaign expenses.
“The nomination forms alone cost GH₵100,000, the filing fee is GH₵500,000, and now a new development fund fee of GH₵4 million has been introduced. We have never had anything called a development fee before,” he lamented.
Comparing the figures to previous years, he recalled that in 2014 aspirants paid GH₵10,000 for forms and GH₵75,000 for filing, while in 2023 the cost rose to GH₵50,000 and GH₵300,000 respectively.
“What has changed now for us to pay such an outrageous amount?” he asked.
The former lawmaker argued that such exorbitant requirements put undue pressure on aspirants and undermine the party’s values of inclusiveness and fair competition.
He stressed that policies and vision should take precedence over financial power.
“When I considered all these things, I realised it is not good. We are all in this to build the party and the nation, but if we want to monetise it, it is not in our best interest,” he explained.
Mr. Addai-Nimoh justified his withdrawal as a matter of principle, warning that excessive financial barriers risk stifling competition and silencing candidates who may not have deep pockets but possess innovative ideas.
The NPP presidential primary is scheduled for January 31, 2026, with several aspirants still vying to succeed former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s next flagbearer.
This is not the first time Addai-Nimoh has contested the flagbearer race. In 2014, he entered the race ahead of the 2016 elections but was eliminated in the early stages. He returned in 2023 to contest the primaries to succeed President Akufo-Addo but failed to advance past the super delegates’ stage.
His latest withdrawal highlights growing concerns within the NPP about the rising cost of participation in internal contests.
“The party must not place financial barriers above vision. If we want to monetise everything, it will not serve our best interest,” Addai-Nimoh cautioned.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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