A legal dispute over the disqualification of some aspirants has forced the suspension of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Sunyani East Constituency executive elections, after the Sunyani High Court placed an injunction on the process.
The elections, which were scheduled for Saturday, July 11, 2026, at the Pastoral Centre in Sunyani, cannot proceed following a 10-day interlocutory injunction granted by Justice Winnie Amoatey-Owusu.
The court order restrains the NPP, its agents and representatives from organising the constituency executive elections until the determination of a substantive case brought before it.
The legal action was initiated by two party members, Maxwell Mahama and Prince Baidoo Worae, over the exclusion of some aspirants from the contest.
The applicants are challenging decisions that led to the disqualification of five candidates seeking various executive positions in the Sunyani East Constituency.
The affected aspirants include former Constituency Chairman Frank Musa Damtarl, who is seeking to return to the position, and former Constituency Communications Officer Maxwell Mahama, who is contesting the Constituency Secretary role.
The disqualifications reportedly followed allegations of misconduct, including claims that some of the aspirants made comments deemed offensive against former Sunyani East Member of Parliament, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh.
The affected candidates had earlier sought redress through the party’s internal appeal process, but their challenge was unsuccessful after the Constituency Appeals Committee upheld the decision of the Vetting Committee.
With the matter unresolved and the National Steering Committee yet to respond to a petition submitted by one of the aggrieved members, the issue was taken to court less than 72 hours before the elections.
The court’s intervention has exposed growing dissatisfaction among some members of the Sunyani East NPP, with concerns being raised about the fairness of the vetting and appeals process.
A polling station executive who spoke on condition of anonymity questioned the basis for the disqualifications, arguing that the decision could affect the party’s efforts to rebuild its support base after losing the Sunyani East parliamentary seat to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The executive described the reasons given for the exclusions as unacceptable and argued that some of the matters cited against the aspirants had already been addressed through an amnesty announced by the party’s national leadership on August 16, 2025.
Questions have also been raised over the Appeals Committee’s decision-making process, particularly the involvement of Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh as chairman.
Some party members have alleged that his role could raise concerns about impartiality, although no evidence of wrongdoing has been established.
As the constituency awaits the outcome of the court process, some party members are calling for dialogue and unity to prevent further divisions.
A constituency delegate urged the party to embrace inclusiveness and allow opportunities for new leadership to emerge, stressing that the party’s future depends on unity among its members.
The delegate said leadership transitions are necessary for organisational growth and that no individual should be considered indispensable to the party.
The injunction has now placed the Sunyani East NPP’s internal elections on hold, with the party awaiting the court’s determination before taking further steps on the constituency executive polls.
