Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

More than 6,000 eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots today, Friday, July 11, 2025, in a high-stakes parliamentary rerun across 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency.

The vote is meant to end months of political and legal wrangling and restore parliamentary representation to a constituency left in limbo since December 2024.

The standoff began after the December 7 general elections when the results from 62 polling stations became the subject of fierce contention between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with both parties disputing the authenticity of pink sheets and the legitimacy of the collation process.

Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

The Electoral Commission (EC) managed to collate results from 59 polling stations, leaving three outstanding and sparking legal action.

In January 2025, the High Court ordered the EC to complete the collation and declare the results.

But the Commission, citing irregularities and missing endorsements in 19 of the polling stations, made a surprise announcement: a rerun would be held instead. That decision deepened tensions.

Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

The NPP rejected the EC’s move, arguing that its candidate, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, had already secured victory with a 414-vote lead.

The party sought an injunction to block the rerun, but on July 9, the court threw out the case as “unmeritorious.”

Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

Despite the party’s official boycott, Akua Afriyie broke ranks, declaring she would participate in the rerun. “I am contesting. We are fully prepared. We are going for this contest,” she said on July 10.

Her defiance drew support from local NPP executives, past and present Members of Parliament, and grassroots campaigners who rallied around her in the final hours before the polls.

Meanwhile, the NDC, confident in its candidate Ewurabena Aubynn’s chances, has doubled down on its campaign efforts.

The party insists Aubynn won the original vote and has mounted a strong ground game ahead of the rerun.

Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

“The people of Ablekuma North are ready for change, and Ewurabena Aubynn represents that change,” said Greater Accra Regional Director of Elections Joshua Alabi during a final campaign stop.

The Electoral Commission has assured voters and stakeholders that today’s rerun will be transparent and credible.

Deputy EC Chair Dr. Bossman Asare told journalists the Commission is committed to concluding the long-delayed electoral process and ensuring that Ablekuma North finally has a voice in Parliament.

Heightened security has been deployed to the 19 polling stations to prevent disruptions and safeguard the process.

Showdown in Ablekuma North as voters return to the polls amid party rift and court drama

At stake is more than just a seat in Parliament. A win for the NDC would signal a breakthrough in a traditionally NPP stronghold.

A win for Akua Afriyie would affirm her personal popularity and expose fractures within the NPP’s national leadership.

As voting begins, both parties await a result that could shift the political narrative ahead of future national contests.

Voice fm Ghana