We have taken it to court; it cannot be – NPP on rerun of Ablekuma North elections

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially dragged the Electoral Commission (EC) to court over its decision to conduct a rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North Constituency.

The party argues that the EC’s move is not grounded in law and poses a serious threat to the credibility of Ghana’s electoral system.

Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV, NPP National Youth Organiser, Salam Mustapha, revealed that the party has filed an interlocutory injunction to stop the planned rerun.

“We have filed an interlocutory injunction in court; it cannot be. The EC doesn’t have the power to decide to rerun elections in selected polling stations,” he said.

Mustapha strongly opposed what he described as the EC’s unilateral action, stressing that such a decision must come from a court of competent jurisdiction—not from the Commission itself.

He warned that allowing the rerun to proceed without legal backing would open the floodgates for electoral chaos.

“If we allow this to go, it sets a dangerous precedent in our electoral system—that when a party realises it is losing an election, it can come and destroy everything and press for a rerun in polling stations it feels and chooses. We can’t accept this; this is not democracy,” he stressed.

The Ablekuma North parliamentary seat has become one of the most contentious following the 2024 elections. The EC earlier stated that pink sheets from 19 polling stations were not signed by presiding officers, even though they had been endorsed by party agents. This, according to the Commission, rendered the results from those polling stations unverifiable, prompting the decision to rerun.

However, the NPP maintains that the EC had previously confirmed it was only awaiting results from three polling stations, and that the rest had been fully accounted for—casting doubt on the sudden change in the EC’s position.

Salam Mustapha insisted that if the EC genuinely believes a rerun is necessary, it must go through the proper legal channels.

“If the EC thinks there are valid reasons for a rerun, it should go to court, present its case, and allow a judge to determine the way forward—not take matters into its own hands,” he asserted.

The party believes that defending the rule of law in this matter is critical to safeguarding the integrity of Ghana’s democratic process.