Akuapem North MP and Senior Adviser to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign, Sammi Awuku, has raised concerns over the decision to scrap proxy voting in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) January 31, 2026 presidential primaries, warning that it could disenfranchise hundreds of delegates abroad.
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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