A dispute over the conduct of constituency-level elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has escalated into legal proceedings at Ayawaso West Wougon Constituency, with some party members challenging the validity of the polls held on August 9, 2026.
The dispute reportedly began when nominations were opened for Polling Station Executives and some party members, including one Gideon Poku, discovered that their names had allegedly been removed from the Polling Station Album.
The affected members reportedly alleged that their names were removed because they were opposed to the then Constituency Secretary, who was also an aspiring Constituency Chairman, and his team.
They subsequently went to court seeking an injunction to stop the Electoral Area Elections. According to the aggrieved members, the Constituency Secretariat was served with the court processes but proceeded with the elections despite the pending case.
The plaintiffs further alleged that the defendants failed to appear in court when the case was called, resulting in the court granting an injunction against the elections.
Despite the injunction, the disputed elections were allegedly held on August 9 using electoral officers whose identities and authority were questioned by the aggrieved members.
They also claimed that the Electoral Commission (EC) had declined to conduct the elections because of the court injunction.
The aggrieved members are challenging the authority of the Constituency Chairman, Alhaji Usman, and Rachael Tutu, whom they allege conducted the disputed elections.
They have reportedly initiated contempt proceedings against the two over the alleged breach of the court order.
Another court process has also been served on persons described as the purported winners of the elections, seeking to prevent them from presenting themselves as duly elected constituency executives and to have the elections annulled.
Meanwhile, petitions have reportedly been submitted to the NPP headquarters challenging the conduct of the elections. The petitioners claim that no action has been taken on their complaints so far.
Alleged assault
The dispute has also taken a more serious turn following an alleged assault at the NPP headquarters.
According to the aggrieved members, the bailiff and the plaintiff were allegedly assaulted by the newly elected Constituency Chairman, Issa Sawadogo, and some of his executives at the party’s headquarters.
The matter was reportedly reported to the Nima Police Station and is currently under investigation.
The petitioners have warned that failure to resolve the dispute could further heighten tensions within the constituency.
The allegations, including the claims of assault and breach of the court order, remain subject to investigation and determination by the relevant authorities and the courts.
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