By Issah Olegor
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) ongoing nationwide constituency executive elections have suffered another legal setback after the High Court in Sefwi Wiawso ordered the immediate suspension of the party’s constituency executive election in the Bibiani Constituency of the Western North Region pending the determination of an application for an interlocutory injunction.
The ruling adds to a growing list of legal disputes that have overshadowed the NPP’s internal elections across several constituencies, with aggrieved members increasingly turning to the courts over allegations relating to voter album validation, delegate eligibility and the conduct of the electoral process.
The latest case was initiated by seven party members—Ben Kumi, Peter Tanya Kyemalo, Samuel Asamoah, Solomon Adjei, Abena Ayensua, Emmanuel Owusu and Joseph Boakye Danso—who instituted legal proceedings against the National Chairman of the NPP, the Party’s Director of Information Technology, the Chairman of the Constituency Election Committee, the Regional Chairman, the Constituency Chairman, the Regional Director of the Electoral Commission in the Western North Region and the District Director of the Electoral Commission in Bibiani.
The matter came before the High Court in Sefwi Wiawso after an application was filed seeking to strike out the suit on the grounds that the plaintiffs had allegedly failed to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before resorting to the courts.
According to the court records, the application was supported by an affidavit sworn by Benjamin Armah, who argued that the action constituted an abuse of the court process because the plaintiffs had not first pursued the available internal mechanisms provided under the NPP’s constitution for resolving electoral disputes.
However, the plaintiffs opposed the application through an affidavit filed by Ben Kumi, insisting that their case deserved to be heard by the court.
After hearing submissions from Dennis Kumah-Kwarkye, counsel for the fourth defendant and applicant, and Alfred Obeng Boateng, counsel representing the plaintiffs, the High Court, presided over by Justice Oliver Atsu Abada, dismissed the application seeking to strike out the suit.
Having dismissed the preliminary objection, the court further noted that the constituency executive election were scheduled to take place between July 10 and July 15, 2026.
The judge consequently granted the fourth defendant additional time to file an affidavit in opposition to the substantive application for an interlocutory injunction, which has been fixed for hearing on July 17, 2026.
More significantly, the court issued an interim order restraining the conduct of the constituency executive elections until the pending injunction application is fully determined.
Relying on Order 1 Rule 2 of C.I. 47, the court directed that no constituency executive election should be held pending the final determination of the injunction application, effectively freezing the electoral process in the constituency.
The order, dated July 10, 2026, was signed by Isaac Yeboah-Duako, Registrar of the High Court, Sefwi Wiawso.
The decision is expected to affect the NPP’s nationwide constituency election timetable, which has already faced disruptions in some constituencies due to court actions and internal disagreements.
The party has in recent weeks been dealing with a series of legal challenges arising from its internal electoral processes, with dissatisfied members alleging procedural breaches, irregularities in delegate lists and violations of the party’s constitution.
In several constituencies, these disputes have resulted in injunction applications, postponements and heightened tensions among competing factions.
The latest ruling means party officials in the Bibiani Constituency cannot proceed with the constituency executive elections until the High Court determines whether the injunction sought by the plaintiffs should remain in force.
The substantive injunction application is expected to be argued before the High Court on July 17, 2026, when the court will decide the next course of action regarding the constituency elections.
