NPP boycott Ablekuma North parliamentary re-run

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced a complete boycott of the Electoral Commission’s (EC) planned parliamentary re-run in the Ablekuma North Constituency, insisting that their candidate, Akua Afriyieh, won the 2024 election “fairly and conclusively.”

At a press conference held on Tuesday, July 8, at the constituency, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong declared the party’s firm stance, describing the EC’s decision to organise a re-run in 19 polling stations as “a violation of electoral justice and a disregard for an existing court directive.”

“We will not participate in any re-run. We won the election with a clear margin and we have the figures to prove it,” Kodua said.

“The Electoral Commission must respect the court directive to complete the collation and declare Akua Afriyieh as the rightful Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North.”

Legal and Electoral Dispute

The Ablekuma North constituency has become a hotspot of political controversy after the EC’s declaration of an incomplete outcome in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

The results from 19 polling stations were withheld, leading to an electoral deadlock and the absence of parliamentary representation for the area since January 2025.

According to the EC, the re-run—scheduled for Friday, July 11, 2025—is necessary due to irregularities in the submission of results from those polling stations.

These include the absence of presiding officers’ signatures on several result sheets, which the Commission said undermines the integrity of the collation process.

However, the NPP strongly disagrees, arguing that the irregularities are “administrative in nature” and do not invalidate the ballot counts, especially when party agents and EC officials at the polling stations signed off on the results.

We Have the Evidence

Justin Kodua stated that the NPP has credible pink sheets from all polling stations, including those under dispute, which show Akua Afriyieh won the election with a margin of 414 votes.

He warned that the party would not allow what he described as “an attempt to manipulate the will of the people through backdoor decisions.”

“The evidence is overwhelming. We expect the Electoral Commission to fulfil its constitutional duty by completing the collation process as ordered by the courts and officially declaring Akua Afriyieh as MP-elect,” Kodua added.

Rising Political Tension

The decision to boycott the re-run could deepen the already tense political atmosphere in Ablekuma North. Constituents have expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in confirming a representative, and civil society groups are urging calm and lawful resolution.

The EC has yet to publicly respond to the NPP’s latest move. If the Commission proceeds with the re-run without the NPP’s participation, it could raise constitutional and legitimacy questions about the validity of the process and its eventual outcome.

Background

The Ablekuma North parliamentary race was among several hotly contested seats in the 2024 general elections.

Though preliminary results pointed to a narrow NPP lead, the EC halted the declaration process, citing the need for further verification.

A legal challenge followed, with a court order instructing the EC to resume collation and declare a winner based on existing votes.

Despite this, the Commission has maintained its intention to re-run the disputed polling station votes, prompting what the NPP now calls a “constitutional crisis.”

The NPP has vowed to challenge any attempt to impose a re-run through legal and political means.