A Kumasi High Court has restrained the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from holding its constituency elections in Fomena, Ashanti Region.
This follows an injunction application filed by two aggrieved members of the party – Benjamin Ofori and Kwame Anokye – who are challenging the credibility of the polling station elections supervised by a committee led by former Bantama Lawmaker, Henry Kwabena Kokofu.
The plaintiffs claim that some individuals had automatically forfeited their party membership by sponsoring an independent candidate during the 2020 general elections. Despite that, they were allowed to pick nomination forms to contest various positions.
“The plaintiffs aver that all efforts to compel the Defendants from disqualifying these people from contesting the elections have proven futile.
“The plaintiffs have been pushed to the belief that aforementioned people can be stopped or disqualified from contesting in aforementioned 1st Defendant only with the help of this Honorable Court,” the said in the writ filed with the court.
Mr. Ofori and Mr. Anokye therefore want among other things a declaration that any member of the NPP who forfeits its membership cannot contest elections.
Granting the wishes of the plaintiffs, the court, presided over by Justice Patricia Quansah instructed the party not to go ahead with conduct of the elections.
The case has since been adjourned to May 18, 2022 for the substantive case to be heard.
However, according to news reports, the party defied the order and conducted the elections at Akrokeri, a suburb of Fomena.
