A Senior Research Fellow at the Kumasi Technical University, Prof. Smart Sarpong, has cautioned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against disregarding court injunctions during their internal elections, warning that the practice could deepen divisions and weaken public confidence in party democracy.
Speaking on Nhyira FM’s Kro Yi Mu Nsem on Monday, July 13, 2026, Prof. Sarpong said political parties must respect judicial decisions if they expect citizens to uphold the rule of law.
His comments follow the NPP’s recently held constituency executive elections across the country, where some constituencies proceeded with polls despite court injunctions over disputes relating to delegate eligibility and party album registers.
According to him, both major political parties have in the past been accused of ignoring court orders during their internal electoral processes, a situation he said creates unnecessary tension and factionalism.
“Both the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress have repeatedly disregarded court injunctions to hold their internal elections. This practice fuels disunity and must be addressed critically,” he said.
Prof. Sarpong argued that grievances that lead to legal action must be resolved before elections are conducted, stressing that proceeding with polls amid unresolved disputes only creates divisions that may affect the parties during general elections.
The situation, he noted, was particularly evident in parts of the Ashanti Region, where some NPP constituency elections were held despite pending legal challenges.
He cited constituencies including Afigya Sekyere East and Bantama, where the elections were conducted amid heightened security presence and without the participation of Electoral Commission officials, with some areas recording confrontations.
Despite the challenges, Prof. Sarpong said the elections were largely peaceful.
“About 90% of the NPP constituency executive elections were conducted peacefully, in spite of disruptions recorded in a few constituencies,” he said.
Commenting on the NPP’s electoral fortunes, particularly in its traditional stronghold of the Ashanti Region, he said the party could still maintain its dominance but warned that voter apathy could affect its performance.
“Despite the violence during the Ashanti NPP primaries, the party can still retain its stronghold. However, voter apathy could lead to greater electoral losses,” he cautioned.
Prof. Sarpong urged party leaders to remain calm and recognise internal elections as part of the democratic process.
“Such incidents in NPP and NDC internal elections should not worry us excessively, as both parties appear to understand the implications of their actions,” he added.
He called on political parties to work closely with the Electoral Commission and respect court decisions to ensure that internal elections are credible, peaceful and capable of strengthening party unity.
The NPP National Steering Committee is currently reviewing proceedings in four Ashanti Region constituencies — Afigya Sekyere East, Adansi Asokwa, Bantama and Asante Akyem Central — following reported disruptions and legal disputes surrounding the elections.
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