The Director of Elections and Information Technology (IT) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Jibril, says the party’s ongoing branch elections have been largely peaceful across the country despite a few isolated challenges.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme in Accra, Mr. Jibril said the branch election process, which commenced on June 20, 2026, is expected to conclude on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
According to him, the exercise has generally been successful, with reported disputes accounting for less than three per cent of the party’s branches nationwide.
Mr. Jibril explained that many of the concerns raised during the exercise are linked to individuals preparing to contest the upcoming constituency executive elections and future parliamentary primaries. He said some aspirants and their supporters have vested interests in influencing the outcome of the branch elections because branch executives constitute the electoral college for subsequent internal party elections.
He noted that although there have been isolated complaints from some branches and competing camps, the overall process has been transparent and credible. In several branches, executives were elected unopposed, while in others some aspirants voluntarily stepped down in support of fellow candidates to promote unity within the party.
Mr. Jibril disclosed that elections would not be conducted in a few branches where disputes remain unresolved until those issues are addressed after the official conclusion of the branch election exercise.
He announced that most constituencies are expected to complete their branch elections by Friday, after which the party will undertake a mop-up exercise from July 14 to July 24, 2026, for branches with vacant positions or where elections could not be held.
According to him, members seeking to contest vacant positions during the mop-up exercise will be required to follow the same nomination procedures, including the payment of a GH¢20 filing fee and the settlement of any outstanding membership dues before filing their nominations.
Mr. Jibril stressed that the NDC is seeking committed members who are prepared to work for the growth of the party rather than individuals who merely seek leadership positions without making meaningful contributions.
He further revealed that after the branch elections, the party’s membership albums would be returned to the various constituencies for verification to enhance transparency and maintain the credibility of the electoral process.
Outlining the party’s internal election calendar, Mr. Jibril said nominations for the constituency, regional and national executive elections will open on October 6, 2026.
The schedule is as follows:
- Constituency Executive Elections: October 24–25, 2026
- Regional Youth and Women’s Elections: November 13, 2026
- Regional Executive Elections: November 14–15, 2026
- National Youth and Women’s Conference: December 12, 2026
- National Delegates Congress: December 19, 2026
Mr. Jibril expressed confidence that the party would successfully complete all stages of its internal elections in a peaceful, transparent and democratic manner, describing the ongoing process as a demonstration of the NDC’s commitment to strengthening its internal democratic structures ahead of future national elections.