NPP Re-runs Bantama Poll Under Heavy Security

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has begun a fresh election to select constituency executives for Bantama in the Ashanti Region, weeks after the party’s national leadership annulled the previous poll over alleged breaches of its electoral rules and other directives. The re-run is being held at the Kumasi Cultural Centre under heightened security, with officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) supervising the exercise—unlike the initial election, which was conducted without the Commission’s oversight.

A total of 1,258 delegates are expected to participate in the fresh poll, with three voting centres established at the venue to facilitate an orderly process and prevent congestion. The exercise is scheduled to end at 4 p.m., after which the votes will be counted and the results declared. The re-run follows the decision by the NPP National Steering Committee to nullify the earlier election held on July 11, 2026. The Committee cited alleged violations of party directives and electoral regulations, as well as instances involving existing court orders, as grounds for the annulment.

The decision triggered tension within the Bantama constituency, particularly after the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, reportedly swore in persons who had been declared winners in the annulled election. The development created a potentially difficult situation for the party, with the national leadership maintaining that the earlier election had been invalidated and that a fresh process was therefore necessary. The current exercise is consequently being closely monitored by representatives of the NPP’s national and regional structures to ensure that the party’s constitution, electoral guidelines and directives are followed.

The deployment of police personnel to the Kumasi Cultural Centre is also intended to maintain order and prevent a recurrence of tensions associated with the earlier election. Particular attention is focused on the constituency chairman position, which has emerged as one of the most closely contested positions in the re-run. The contest is between the incumbent chairman, Fiifi Mensah, and his vice, Kingsley Atta. The two were at the centre of the previous election, with Mr Atta securing a decisive victory over Mr Mensah. Mr Atta obtained 714 of the 995 valid votes cast, representing 72.8 per cent, while Mr Mensah polled 267 votes, representing 27.2 per cent.

The earlier result, however, has no standing in the party’s current process following the National Steering Committee’s annulment of the election. The fresh vote therefore gives the delegates another opportunity to determine who should lead the constituency executive structure, while placing both candidates under renewed scrutiny.

Beyond the individual contests, the Bantama re-run is being viewed as an important test of the NPP’s ability to enforce its internal electoral rules and resolve disputes within its structures. The decision to involve the Electoral Commission and increase supervision is expected to provide greater transparency to the process and reduce disputes over the conduct and credibility of the election. The outcome will also determine the composition of the constituency executives who will be responsible for organizing party activities, mobilizing supporters and strengthening the NPP’s grassroots structures in Bantama as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections.

With security personnel stationed at the venue and party officials closely monitoring proceedings, attention remains fixed on whether the re-run will proceed peacefully and whether the eventual outcome will be accepted by all contestants. The party’s leadership has reiterated the need for members to respect its constitution, electoral regulations and established procedures in resolving internal disagreements, stressing the importance of unity and discipline within its ranks.

Source: Myjoyonline
Author: Joyce Owusu