Some constituency executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ejisu in the Ashanti Region have clashed over the alleged interference of a regional executive, Kwame Owusu Bampoe, in the party’s internal electoral process ahead of the upcoming polling station elections.
The executives are accusing the regional representative of disregarding the party’s official election guidelines and imposing decisions they claim threaten transparency and unity within the constituency.
Constituency Secretary Prince Asare alleged that the representative has repeatedly overridden decisions collectively taken by constituency executives and instead insisted on enforcing directives he claims are sanctioned by regional authorities.
According to Mr. Asare, the constituency leadership had agreed to strictly follow the party’s operational guidelines, including the authorised register distributed nationwide to guide the conduct of the polling station elections.
However, he alleged that some key provisions in the document are being ignored in Ejisu.
“The first regional representative assigned to us created misunderstanding among the executives, and the matter was later reported to the regional chairman, after which another representative was brought in. Initially, things were moving smoothly, but later he stopped following the party’s guidelines and rather came with his own decisions for us to accept,” Mr. Asare said during a press conference at the party’s office in Ejisu.
The executives disclosed that the 15-member constituency executive body is currently divided over the matter.
“One thing we are insisting on is fairness and transparency. We are not against anybody, but we want every process to follow the laid down rules of the party so that nobody feels cheated after the elections,” he added.
The aggrieved group also expressed concern over the composition of the Polling Station Elections Committee.
According to the executives, the party’s guidelines provide for a 33-member committee to be constituted jointly by constituency executives and the regional representative, with the Member of Parliament nominating 11 members while the remaining members are agreed upon collectively.
However, they claim Kwame Owusu Bampoe has refused to comply with the arrangement and is instead attempting to handpick individuals to serve on the committee despite not being a member of the Ejisu Constituency.
The group further raised concerns over the vetting process for candidates contesting polling station positions, noting that between 3,000 and 4,000 party members have picked nomination forms, making it difficult to vet every applicant.
The executives stated that the collective agreement and operational guidelines provide that only newly registered members are expected to undergo vetting, while old members in good standing are exempted.
However, they alleged that the regional representative has opposed the arrangement, further escalating tensions among the executives.
“We have thousands of loyal party members who picked forms in good faith. If people begin to feel that certain individuals are trying to impose their own choices, it could create unnecessary division within the constituency,” they stated.
The executives warned that the situation could create dissatisfaction among grassroots supporters and potentially weaken unity within one of the NPP’s key constituencies in the Ashanti Region.
They are now calling on the national leadership of the party to intervene and publicly clarify whether the regional representative has been mandated to enforce directives outside the officially approved election guidelines.
“We want free and fair elections,” the executives stressed, insisting that the credibility and integrity of the party’s internal democratic processes must be protected ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Responding to the allegations, Kwame Owusu Bampoe denied interfering with the party’s approved guidelines ahead of the polling station elections.
He, however, disclosed that he had been served with an interlocutory injunction in relation to the matter and would therefore be unable to comment extensively or grant interviews while the issue remains before the court.
According to him, he would grant an interview after the legal process is concluded for the public to hear the full facts surrounding the matter.
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