African Electoral Institute flags NDC’s missed solidarity message as lesson for all political parties

The African Electoral Institute (AEI) has flagged the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) programme coordination after a National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegation left without delivering its solidarity message.

The NDC solidarity delegation, reportedly led by Deputy Women’s Organiser Dzifa Tsegah, left the Baba Yara Sports Stadium after waiting for a considerable period.

According to the AEI, the delegation said it arrived at 9:30am but received no official communication on the delayed start of the conference programme.

“If independently confirmed, this episode raises questions about programme coordination and communication with invited delegations,” the AEI said in its secondary observation report.

The institute said the incident should be viewed as an organisational lesson rather than evidence of hostility between the NPP and NDC.

“AEI considers this particularly relevant because Ghana’s democratic culture depends not only on competition but also on institutional respect and constructive engagement among political actors,” it said.

The AEI said political parties hosting major national events should establish clear protocols for receiving, communicating with and accommodating representatives of other parties.

“Political organisations hosting major national events should have clear protocols for receiving, communicating with and accommodating representatives of other political parties,” the institute said.

The observation was contained in the AEI’s report on the NPP National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

The conference was attended by 7,163 expected delegates across 31 voting centres, with 45 aspirants contesting nine national executive positions, according to the AEI.

The institute congratulated the NPP on what it described as the largely successful organisation of the conference but identified programme delays and communication challenges among issues requiring attention.

It said lessons from the event should inform the organisation of future political gatherings and strengthen institutional courtesy among the political parties.