<<Print>>

After seven postponements of the parliamentary primary of Manhyia North constituency in the Ashanti region for various reasons, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has postponed it again.

The party has asked that elections at all levels beginning from the polling station to the constituency executive level should be re-run before the parliamentary primary would be organised.

The party explained in a letter signed by the Acting General Secretary, Mr John Buadu that it arrived at the decision after it considered a Supreme Court ruling on April 9, 2014 that called for the annulment of the existing constituency album and ordered for a re-run.

However, in a reaction, some members of the party in the constituency, have sworn they will resist any attempt to re-run the elections at all levels because it was a ploy by some unseen hands to ensure that incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Collins Owusu Amankwa loses the bid to lead the party again.

At a charged meeting in the constituency, the party members holding sticks and stones and singing war songs, denied that there was any such Supreme Court ruling and insisted that after the re-election of the 197 polling station executive, nothing new has happened to warrant such a U-turn. 

Speaking to Graphic Online after the meeting, Mr Victor Opoku, a member of the Manhyia North Patrons, said the only Supreme Court ruling on such matter was on Kumawu Constituency and not Manhyia North.

The letter from the NPP NEC which was dated April 1, 2016 recounted various interventions by the various groups and persons including hat of the National Campaign Manager, Mr Peter Mac Manu and the Acting General Secretary, Mr John Buadu aimed at 

Dated April 1, 2016, the NPP NEC letter recounted various interventions by the various groups and persons including the Campaign Manager, Mr Peter Mac Manu and the Acting General Secretary, Mr John Boadu to seek a political settlement to the issue.

The letter mentioned that even at the re-run of 197 polling stations the problem was still not resolved because of the “entrenched position taken by the aggrieved factions.

“The National Executive Committee has therefore taken a decision to re-run all elections in the Manhyia North Constituency from the polling station level to the constituency executive level”, the letter added.