The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has vowed to challenge the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to rerun parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North Constituency, arguing the move lacks both legal grounding and procedural fairness.
At a press briefing held in Accra on Thursday, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong announced that the party’s legal team is preparing to file an urgent motion in court to restrain the EC from proceeding with the partial rerun.
“The Electoral Commission has no constitutional or statutory mandate to unilaterally order a rerun in selected polling stations without a court order,” Frimpong declared, labelling the directive “whimsical and capricious.”
Core Dispute
The controversy stems from the EC’s July 2 announcement that a rerun was necessary due to disputes surrounding the authenticity of results in the 19 polling stations. However, the NPP insists that collation was already complete in all but three polling stations, and that the EC had consistently affirmed this figure in prior communications, including to Parliament.
Frimpong challenged the EC’s apparent U-turn, warning that it sets a “dangerous precedent” for future elections.
“The NDC knows they lost this election. What’s happening now is not about transparency — it’s about manipulation. We will not sit idle while the sovereign will of the people of Ablekuma North is tampered with.”
Legal Strategy in Motion
The NPP said it has instructed its legal directorate to file a motion in court to stop the EC from proceeding with what it describes as a “selective and unconstitutional rerun.” The party maintains that only a court of competent jurisdiction can annul already-cast votes and order fresh polling.
Frimpong further cited a High Court order from January 2025 directing the EC to complete collation—not restart it—as evidence the Commission is acting outside the bounds of law.
Tensions Mount as Elections Hang in Limbo
The Ablekuma North seat, traditionally an NPP stronghold, has become the flashpoint of post-election disputes following the tightly contested 2024 general election. The EC’s new directive, which the NPP alleges was influenced by opposition pressure, has rekindled debate over electoral transparency and institutional neutrality.
Civil society groups have begun calling for clarity on the legal framework governing partial reruns, warning that public trust in Ghana’s electoral institutions could be eroded if clear constitutional lines are not followed.
With legal proceedings imminent, all eyes now turn to the courts to determine whether the EC acted within its mandate — or whether the rerun directive constitutes overreach in a tightly contested constituency.
The EC has yet to formally respond to the NPP’s legal threat.
