NPP Presidential Primaries: Elections In Sunyani East Constituency Put On Hold Following Injunction

• The EC has put the NPP presidential primary in the Sunyani East constituency on hold, reports say
• State-owned news wire service, GNA, says elections in the constituency in Bono Region has been postponed
• The postponement was occasioned by an injunction filed by some members of the party in the constituency but it raises questions about the possible disenfranchisement of some delegates

The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially confirmed the postponement of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Primaries in the Sunyani East constituency.

The decision to withhold the polls is due to an injunction filed by disgruntled party members regarding the constituency primaries.

Party sources have revealed that a local high court in Sunyani has invalidated the constituency album, in response to the injunction filed by these aggrieved party members.

According to a report by state-own Ghana News Agency, the decision announced on Friday, November 3, 2023, has raised concerns as it could potentially disenfranchise delegates in the constituency.

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The NPP is scheduled to conduct the presidential primaries on Saturday, November 4, to select a flagbearer for the 2024 elections.

The legal battle can be traced back to May of last year when the High Court in Sunyani ordered the NPP in the Sunyani East Constituency to set aside an album that was used in the constituency elections.

This ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by four party members who claimed the album was improperly produced.

The court, presided over by Judge Douglas Seidu, ruled that certain elections, including polling station executive elections and electoral area coordinator elections, needed to take place before the constituency elections.

The court further mandated the NPP's National Headquarters to remove the names of individuals allegedly elected as polling station executives and electoral area coordinators for the Sunyani East Constituency from its national database.

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Despite these legal challenges, the Bono Regional Director of the EC, Young Asirifi, has assured the public that preparations for the primaries in the region are on track. He stated that the EC has received election materials, which are securely stored in the regional armory, and that electoral officers have been trained and are ready for the event.

More than 6,000 delegates are expected to participate in the presidential primary in Sunyani East constituency, but elections will take place in the remaining ten constituencies of the region.

Kofi Ofosu Boateng, the Bono Regional Secretary of the NPP, has emphasised the importance of security and confirmed that the police have assured the party of adequate security measures.

While the Sunyani East constituency faces a delay in the NPP Presidential Primaries, preparations continue in the broader Bono Region for the crucial electoral event, and the party says it remains committed to ensuring a smooth and secure process.

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Bawumia leads NPP-USA presidential primaries with over 77% votes

Meanwhile, the four aspirants contesting the flagbearer election of the NPP -- Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Addai Nimoh -- have pledged not to resign from the party after the primary.

Bawumia secures 77% of votes in NPP-USA presidential primary elections

In a related story, YEN.com.gh has reported that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has taken the lead in the NPP presidential primaries after winning the NPP-USA polls.

Dr Bawumia polled over 77% of the total ballots cast, beating his closest contender Ken Agyapong, who polled only 22% of the total votes.

The election results were disclosed in a press statement released by NPP-USA following the primaries on Wednesday, November 1.

Source: YEN.com.gh