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NPP-USA to use own bylaws for 2026 elections, defers national guidelines to July conference
via GhanaWeb3 min read
The New Patriotic Party USA Branch NPP-USA will conduct its 2026 internal elections using its existing Branch Bylaws. This decision was made by the Branch Executive Committee, which voted to maintain its own electoral framework and defer the National Executive Committee's revised election guidelines for consideration at the July conference. At an emergency virtual meeting on May 27, 2026, members voted 20 to 9, with four abstentions, to uphold the NPP-USA Branch Bylaws as last amended on March 7, 2021. The secretariat was instructed to communicate this decision to the National Party in Ghana. The vote followed a directive from NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong on April 8, 2026, which called for all external branches to align their internal elections with the National Executive Committee's Revised Guidelines. Members identified four areas of conflict between the national guidelines and the NPP-USA Bylaws: candidate eligibility, voter eligibility, mode of election, and the composition of the Elections Committee. The committee agreed that existing bylaws, if not formally amended, remain the controlling framework. The branch remains open to considering amendments for harmonization with national guidelines, provided they follow the constitutional process. The 2026 Annual Branch Conference is scheduled for July 24-26, 2026, in Massachusetts, where future bylaws amendments and the national revised guidelines will be considered.
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President John Dramani Mahama has lauded Minister of Foreign Affairs and North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as one of his administration's top performers. Speaking during his Resetting Ghana Tour in the Volta Region on July 16, 2026, President Mahama described Ablakwa as among his hardest-working ministers, crediting him with many of Ghana鈥檚 diplomatic successes. He highlighted Ablakwa's commitment to national service and his focus on the development of the North Tongu constituency. The President attributed much of his international recognition to the Foreign Affairs Minister's efforts, citing Ghana鈥檚 successful campaign for a United Nations resolution on reparations as a prime example, noting Ablakwa personally led diplomatic engagements to secure international backing for the initiative.
Must ReadGhanaian TikToker Camilla Alhassan has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Accra Circuit Court after pleading guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publishing false news. The ruling was delivered on July 16, 2026, following her admission that she shared videos falsely alleging that President John Dramani Mahama buried 32 cows as part of rituals for the 2024 general election. Her lawyer, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, stated that the court dismissed the charge of electronic abuse due to lack of jurisdiction. However, she was found guilty of offensive conduct and publishing false news. The court imposed the one-year sentence, emphasizing the need for a deterrent given the increasing number of similar cases, despite the defense's plea for leniency. Camilla's arrest and prosecution followed the circulation of the videos on social media, and she was directed to undergo a pregnancy test before sentencing.
The Controller and Accountant-General鈥檚 Department CAGD has refuted social media claims that the government has spent nearly GH垄11 billion on the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project. The CAGD explained that the transfer of funds from the Consolidated Fund to Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle SPV established through the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund GIIF, represents a standard accounting procedure. This transfer is recorded as Grant Expenditure by the Central Government and as Grant Revenue by the receiving entity, which is classified as a State-Owned Enterprise SOE. The Department emphasized that the money, earmarked from the Annual Budget Funding Amount ABFA and mineral royalties, remains in a dedicated Bank of Ghana account and has not been used for construction or paid to contractors. The CAGD clarified that the ongoing right-of-way clearing by the Ghana Armed Forces is a separate, preparatory exercise not funded by these project-specific funds. The Department urged the public not to misinterpret the accounting entry as actual expenditure on construction, affirming that the process aligns with Ghana鈥檚 Public Financial Management framework and established government accounting standards.