A petition has been filed with the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Elections Committee challenging the eligibility of Michael Osei Boateng aka Pope to contest the party’s upcoming National Executive Elections as National Youth Organiser.
The petition submitted to the party’s Vetting Committee at the NPP National Headquarters in Accra, dated August 31, 2026 and filed by party faithful, Masud M. Abdella, questions Pope’s eligibility on the grounds that he may have exceeded the constitutional age limit for the position.
Pope filed his nomination to contest the National Youth Organiser position on August 28, 2026. The Petitioner seeks of the Elections Committee to either disqualify him or suspend further processing of his candidature pending verification of his eligibility.
The petition is anchored on the NPP’s constitutional definition of a youth.
According to the Petitioner, under the 2025 NPP Constitution, Article 15 establishes the National Youth Wing and defines a youth as a party member who “has not attained the age of forty (40) years.” “The same provision establishes the office of National Youth Organiser, which is elected at a National Delegates Conference”.
The petition, cites the provision in Article 15(4) and argues that the 40-year ceiling remains the applicable threshold for determining eligibility in the current electoral cycle.
The petitioner argues that documentary evidence including public records from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Ghana Card and Ghana passport pegs the age of Pope at an almost 42 years, above the constitutional threshold of the party.
The petition states that the documents indicate Pope’s date of birth as October 8, 1984. If that date is verified, he would have turned 40 in October 2024 and would therefore be 41 at the time of filing his nomination in August 2026.
The petitioners therefore called on the Elections Committee to rely solely on the exhibited Passport, Ghana Card and SSNIT documents to arrive at the needed conclusion in upholding the NPP’s constitution.
They have requested that the Committee independently verify the records with the agencies responsible for issuing them.
The petition asks the Elections Committee to suspend further processing of Pope’s nomination while the allegations are investigated.
It further requests that the aspirant be directed to submit his Ghana Card, passport, SSNIT biodata and any other primary identification or birth records for verification, and that both the petitioners and the aspirant be given a fair hearing before a final determination is made.
The petitioners also allege that, “should further investigation establish that any documents were altered or falsified to support the candidature, such conduct should constitute additional grounds for disqualification”. They stress that the allegation is subject to verification by the appropriate party authorities.
The NPP Constitution provides that a member who alleges that another member has breached a constitutional provision may lodge a complaint. It also requires complaints to be investigated and provides for the affected member to be given an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the party’s disciplinary and grievance procedures.
The eligibility dispute comes as the NPP prepares for its National Executive Elections, scheduled for October 3, 2026. The vetting for the various positions has been slated for Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
The National Youth Organiser is among the national positions to be vetted for and contested, with the party stating that aspirants for the position must meet the applicable eligibility requirements and be cleared through the vetting process.
The outcome of the petition if acted upon could therefore determine whether Pope remains in the race for the National Youth Organiser position.
Source: Purefmonlinegh.com || 2026
