NPP Primaries Hit By Court Injunctions; 6 Constituencies Stopped

A delegate casting his vote in the Nsawam constituency

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has faced setbacks in its preparation for parliamentary primaries as court injunctions and other issues have led to the exclusion of six constituencies from the ongoing elections.

The party had scheduled the parliamentary elections in areas where it has sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) for today Saturday, January 27, 2024.

The affected constituencies include Mampong and Obuasi East in the Ashanti region, Binduri in the Upper East region, Agona West in the Central region, Akuapem South in the Eastern region, and Sunyani East in the Bono Region. These constituencies will not be participating in the parliamentary primaries due to court injunctions and other issues brought to the attention of the party’s national leadership.

In the Sunyani East constituency, the election of constituency executives has been delayed as the constituency album has been rejected by the High Court.

In Akuapem South, the regional executives are seeking broader consultation following the withdrawal of the sitting MP, OB Amoah, from the race.

The party has also postponed the parliamentary primary in the Akuapem South constituency in order to address a petition from the Municipal Chief Executive, Frank Aidoo. Aidoo has requested to contest the party’s parliamentary primary following the withdrawal of the incumbent MP, O.B. Amoah, from the race. Amoah had initially indicated his unwillingness to seek re-election but later changed his mind and picked up nomination forms.

The NPP’s general secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, released a statement announcing the postponement of the Akuapem South primary. The decision was made to allow for comprehensive consultations and address the concerns raised. Frimpong called for the cooperation of supporters during this time.

During an interview, Justin Kodua Frimpong identified the affected constituencies and expressed readiness for the primaries.

He stated that ballots and election materials have been printed and prepared for distribution.

Frimpong expressed confidence that the elections would conclude by the scheduled 2pm closing time and urged stakeholders to ensure a seamless exercise.

The NPP has cleared 326 parliamentary aspirants for the primaries out of a total of 373 who filed to contest. Of these, 33 will be running unopposed, 11 were disqualified, and two others have been referred to the National Executive Committee. Two candidates who were cleared to contest have since withdrawn, one submitted incomplete forms, and two did not show up for vetting.

Despite the setbacks caused by court injunctions and other issues, the NPP remains focused on conducting its parliamentary primaries and selecting its candidates for the upcoming elections in a fair and transparent manner.

By Vincent Kubi

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