One person sustained injuries, and three others were arrested following violent clashes during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Constituency Executive Elections in the Bantama Constituency of the Ashanti Region.
The chaos erupted after some party members allegedly mobilised a group of thugs to disrupt the ongoing election. They claimed the process should not proceed because aggrieved party members had obtained an injunction.
Witnesses reported that the group stormed the venue, destroyed election materials, and insisted that the officials overseeing the exercise were not from the Electoral Commission (EC) and therefore lacked the authority to conduct the election.
“Machomen invaded the venue and started smashing EC items; one person is injured. The police acted unprofessionally when they arrived at the scene. The election is on hold now,” one of the witnesses said.
The Bantama Constituency had already been making headlines before the elections due to accusations and counter-accusations between the current Constituency Chairman and the First Vice Chairman regarding the alleged removal of some delegates’ names from the electoral album.
The individuals who secured the injunction are Paul Asare, Marcus James Kwadwo Osei, and Enoch Ofori Amanfo, all members of the NPP in the Bantama Constituency.
The injunction, served on the party’s headquarters, the supervisor of the constituency elections, and the NPP Bantama Constituency, sought to prevent the conduct of the Constituency Executive Elections.
However, some individuals allegedly ignored the court order and proceeded with the elections.
The resulting violence brought the electoral process to a complete halt, leaving delegates stranded at the Kumasi Cultural Centre, the designated venue.
Police have since been deployed to the scene to restore order.
