Asare Michael Baarffour (Devarsh)

NPP Presidential Timetable for Primaries announced ahead of the next general elections.

Ghana’s New Patriotic Party has announced a comprehensive six-month timeline for picking their presidential candidate in 2026, with nominations commencing on July 29 and the main election scheduled for January 31, 2026.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set a six-month timeline to select a candidate for the 2026 general election, with the process beginning next week.

The party’s presidential primary calendar starts on Tuesday, July 29, when candidates can begin submitting nomination papers. Those vying for the top job have exactly one month to prepare their paperwork, with the deadline set for August 28.

When nominations close, things happen swiftly. Party leaders will spend a week in mid-September, from the 15th to the 22nd, scrutinizing each candidate to ensure they meet all qualifications. This vetting process will select who qualifies for the real contest.

The vetting committee’s findings will be presented to the National Council and National Executive Council on September 29, 2025. Any candidate who is dissatisfied with the outcome has a small window from September 30, 2025, to October 3, 2025, to file complaints or appeals.

Party leaders will meet on October 7, 2025, to resolve any outstanding concerns before releasing the final list of authorized candidates the next day.

The main event is slated for January 31, 2026, providing candidates more than three months to campaign throughout the country. If no candidate receives enough votes to win outright, a run-off between the top two contenders will be held on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2026.

Party officials are calling for a clean, respectful campaign that adheres to democratic principles. The victor will lead the NPP’s campaign to retain power in what promises to be a hotly contested general election.

This planned strategy allows for adequate time for campaigning while preserving the party’s internal democratic processes as they strive to extend their tenure in office.

Full Schedule Below: 

Here are the 4 new visa-free countries for Ghanaians after Parliament approval. Citizens can now move to these countries without a visa. 

Ghana’s Parliament ratified visa waiver agreements with São Tomé and Príncipe, Colombia, Dominica, and Mozambique, allowing citizens to travel visa-free to these countries.

Ghana’s passport has just been more powerful after MPs unanimously approved four new visa waiver treaties, allowing visa-free travel to previously prohibited places.

Ghanaians can now travel to São Tomé and Príncipe, Colombia, the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Mozambique without requiring visas or paying fees, according to parliamentary permission.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the news on social media, expressing gratitude for the prompt legislative response. He announced: “I am grateful to Parliament for unanimously ratifying 4 Visa Waiver Agreements which I presented to the House earlier this week.

The additional agreements raise Ghana’s visa-free destinations for this year to five, including Morocco, which was already secured. Ablakwa said that this is only the beginning of a larger effort to strengthen passports. The ministry has confirmed: “Visas are no longer required by Ghanaians to travel to São Tomé and Príncipe, Colombia, the Commonwealth of Dominica and Mozambique”.

He indicated that travelers might expect other announcements before the end of 2025. “More Visa Waiver Agreements are being negotiated for ratification this year”, He added.

The Mahama administration has set lofty goals, intending to transform Ghana’s travel document into a worldwide respected passport. Ablakwa announced: “The Mahama administration is determined to make the Ghanaian passport one of the most valuable and respected travel documents in the world”.

According to the minister, the government is increasing security measures to avoid abuse while also expanding travel freedoms. “We are also investing in rigorous enhanced security protocols to ensure international criminal gangs do not have access to our passports”.

These advances represent a significant step toward increasing Ghanaian people’ worldwide mobility while preserving document integrity and global credibility.

READ ALSO: Breaking News: Ghana Records First Death In Mpox Case With 23 Active Cases

Ghana records first death in Mpox case as of today, with active cases rising to 23. The outbreak has started to cause stir, with a lot worried about its spread.

Ghana is seeing a troubling rise in Mpox cases, with 23 new illnesses reported as of July 22, 2025, putting the country total to 257. Tragically, the country has also reported its first fatality since the outbreak began, signalling a crucial and frightening turning point.

This is the largest weekly increase to yet, indicating a sudden turnaround in the disease’s course following a time without fatalities.

Health officials have stressed that the virus is typically transmitted through close personal contact with infected people. The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is advising the people to be watchful and report any symptoms as soon as possible to help control the spread.

This recent report contrasts sharply with numbers given just a few days earlier, on July 18th, which indicated 234 instances with no deaths and no active hospitalisations. The significant increase in new cases and the first fatality indicate a troubling escalation of the disease.

Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes fever, bodily pains, and a unique skin rash. It is transferred through direct contact with an infected person’s skin, rashes, or bodily fluids. Health officials warn that the sickness is especially dangerous to children, pregnant women, and anyone with pre-existing health disorders.

To prevent further transmission, health officials advise the public to avoid direct physical contact with anyone exhibiting symptoms, to wash their hands frequently, and to seek prompt medical assistance if symptoms arise.

The GHS cautioned in a message to the public: “Protect yourself and others by avoiding close contact with those showing symptoms, and ensure you report any suspected signs to the nearest health facility.”

While most infected people recover without difficulties, this latest fatality has aroused legitimate concerns among medical professionals. Officials emphasize that early detection and isolation are still the most effective ways for managing the outbreak.

The GHS is closely monitoring the situation, working with regional health directorates on contact tracing, and coordinating the overall public health response. As part of its efforts, the health service is stepping up public education programs and encouraging citizens to rely on reliable information sources to aid national containment efforts.

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Daddy Lumba confirmed dead after battling a short illness.

Charles Kojo Fosu, well known as Daddy Lumba, has died at the age of 61 following a brief illness.

Revered as one of the most prominent figures in Ghanaian highlife music, his powerful vocals, passionate lyrics, and decades of artistic excellence created a nation’s soundtrack and touched the lives of millions of people across generations.

According to an official statement made by the Fosu family on Saturday, July 26, 2025, the famed highlife musician died following a brief illness.

Peter Obi donates to the UNN Dentistry Department at the University of Nigeria. His visit to the University was shortly after the burial of the former President of Nigeria. 

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s flag bearer in the 2023 general elections, has donated N15 million to the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Ituku-Ozala, Enugu State, to assist with their accreditation crisis.

Obi of the Labour Party decried the degradation of health facilities while donating N15 million to UNN students. The former governor of Anambra State acknowledged this in a message posted on his X page on Friday, July 18.

Peter Obi disclosed that he received a letter from the faculty’s re-accreditation fundraising committee, in which the committee requested “urgent intervention and support of about N40 million to upgrade their laboratory and scale up the department’s graduation and induction quota as part of their re-accreditation process.”

However, his donation was delayed due to the death and burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari. However, on Friday, Peter Obi paid an unplanned visit to the Faculty of Dentistry students and donated N15 million.

“Out of respect for the national mourning following the passing of our former President, I refrained from making any public statements during that period. Now that the mourning has officially ended, I felt it was important to act without delay. Today, I visited, because we cannot, in good conscience, continue to allow our young people to suffer due to leadership failure.

“As part of my unwavering commitment to advancing education and healthcare in our dear nation, I made a modest donation of ₦15,000,000 to the University of Nigeria Dental Students Association to assist in their continuous education as students of the medical and dental department of the school,” Peter Obi said.

Obi went on to say that leadership failure is to blame for the decline of health-care facilities across the country. He said that after receiving the letter signed by one of the students, he called the institution’s administration, who confirmed that the request was real.

So he decided to pay a visit to see how things were going, promising the kids that in addition to his personal donation, he would also seek out other generous persons to help the teachers.

Peter Obi tweeted: “I continue to question the kind of country we are building, where our leaders and public servants spend millions on luxury cars and ignore critical areas of development, health, education, and pulling people out of poverty. It is a tragedy of misplaced priorities.”

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The 2025 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has already begun with the regionals. So far, the 2025 NSMQ Regionals have seen some surprising results in some contests. 

Today, the Eastern Regional Qualifiers started with four contests, with the first contest of the day being among Methodist Girls’ SHS, Akim Asafo, Attafuah SHTS, Boso SHTS, and St. Martin’s SHS.

The fourth contest of the day, which featured Benkum SHS, Akim Swedru SHS, Akuse Presby SHS, and Bepong SHS, saw some exciting action and thrills, and at the end of the day, Benkum SHS won.

Benkum SHS took the early lead in the first round with 28 points and further extended it to 39 points in the second round. In the third round, it again increased the lead to 49 points.

At the end of the first round:

Benkum SHS: 28 points

Bepong SHS: 18 points

Anum Presby SHS: 16 points

Akuse Methodist SHTS: 12 points

Akim Swedru SHS: 12 points

An early stretch from Benkum SHS saw them in a calm seat, but the second round was even calmer as Anum overtook Bepong to claim the second position.

At the end of the second round: 

Benkum SHS: 39 points

Anum Presby SHS: 23 points

Bepong SHS: 17 points

Akuse Methodist SHTS: 14 points

Akim Swedru SHS: 14 points

Benkum SHS further stretched the gap by 10 points in the third round as Anum Presby also handed in more effort to cross the 30 points mark. Again, the third round saw Bepong trail behind with 22 points after securing the third position in the second round.

At the end of the third round:

Benkum SHS: 49 points

Anum Presby SHS: 35 points

Akuse Methodist SHTS: 27 points

Akim Swedru SHS: 24 points

Bepong SHS: 22 points

Benkum SHS sealed the mantle to the National level and also to the next stage of the Regional Championship. At the end, Akim Swedru trailed by 24 points.

At the end of the contest: 

Benkum SHS: 49 points

Anum Presby SHS: 41 points

Akuse Methodist SHTS: 30 points

Bepong SHS: 26 points

Akim Swedru SHS: 24 points

Congratulations to Benkum Senior High School.

READ ALSO: Holy Child suffers heartbreak as Winneba SHS secures 5th spot in Central Region