NPP Presidential primary in Sunyani East put on hold – EC

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Primaries in the Sunyani East constituency has been put on hold, the Electoral Commission (EC) has confirmed.

Delegates in the constituency would therefore be disenfranchised, as the NPP goes to the poll on Saturday, November 4, to elect a flagbearer to lead the party in the 2024 election.

According to party sources, a high court in Sunyani had set aside the constituency album following an injunction filed by some aggrieved members of the party in relation to the constituency primaries.

In May last year, the High Court in Sunyani ordered the NPP in the Sunyani East Constituency to set aside a purported album used for the constituency elections.

The court, presided over by Douglas Seidu, there hadn’t been “any polling station executive election, neither have they conducted any electoral area coordinator elections. These two elections must come on before the constituency elections.”

The orders followed a suit filed by four members of the party who appealed to the court to set aside the purported album used for the election, claiming it was not properly produced.

The High Court consequently ordered the National Headquarters of the NPP to delete from its national database, names of persons purportedly elected as polling station Executives and Electoral Area Coordinators or Officers for the Sunyani East Constituency.

Meanwhile the Bono Regional Director of the EC, Mr Young Asirifi in an interview confirmed preparations for the conduct of the primary in the region.

He says the EC in the region had received election materials, which had been kept safe at the regional armory, saying all was set for the conduct of the elections, and added the commission had also engaged and trained its electoral officers as well.

Meanwhile, more than 6,000 delegates are expected to cast their ballots in the presidential primary, to be conducted in the 10 remaining constituencies of the region.

Mr Kofi Ofosu Boateng, the Bono Regional Secretary of the NPP told the GNA that “the police have assured us of absolute security.”

“The EC is handling all the electoral processes and arrangements are geared up awaiting tomorrow for the elections,” he stated.