NPP holds Bantama Constituency re-run under tight security

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is holding a re-run of its Bantama Constituency executive elections at the Kumasi Cultural Centre under tight security.

The fresh poll follows the annulment of an earlier election held on Sunday, July 11, 2026, by the party’s National Steering Committee.

The committee said the initial election breached party directives and electoral regulations, with some aspects also said to have conflicted with existing court orders.

A total of 1,258 delegates are expected to vote in the re-run, with three voting centres set up at the venue to facilitate the exercise.

The Electoral Commission is supervising the current election, unlike the previous exercise which was conducted without its oversight.

National and Ashanti Regional representatives of the NPP are also at the venue to monitor the process and ensure that the party’s electoral guidelines are followed.

Police officers have been deployed to the Kumasi Cultural Centre as a precautionary measure to maintain order during the exercise.

The election is expected to end at 4pm.

The re-run has been necessitated by a dispute over the validity of the earlier election and subsequent developments within the constituency.

Despite the National Steering Committee’s decision to cancel the previous results, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, reportedly swore in those elected at the annulled poll.

The decision created tension within the constituency as the national party leadership maintained that the election had been nullified and that a fresh exercise was required.

The latest poll is therefore being closely watched as the party seeks to resolve the disagreement and establish new constituency executives through an electoral process backed by its national structure.

The chairmanship contest is one of the key races attracting attention.

It is being contested by incumbent chairman Fiifi Mensah and his vice, Kingsley Atta.

Mr Atta won the chairmanship position in the annulled election, securing 714 votes from the 995 valid votes cast.

That represented 72.8% of the valid votes.

Mr Mensah received 267 votes, representing 27.2%.

The results, however, were rendered ineffective following the National Steering Committee’s decision to cancel the election.

The party’s insistence on conducting a fresh poll has brought both candidates back into contention as delegates prepare to vote again.

The presence of the Electoral Commission is also expected to provide additional oversight of the process and distinguish the re-run from the earlier exercise.

Party officials have said the process is being conducted in accordance with the NPP’s constitution and electoral regulations.

The new constituency executives will be responsible for coordinating the party’s activities at the local level and strengthening its structures ahead of the 2028 general elections.

The Bantama election has attracted attention because of the disagreement over the authority of different party structures and the enforcement of decisions taken by the national leadership.

The outcome of the re-run is expected to determine who receives a fresh mandate to lead the constituency and could also help bring an end to the dispute surrounding the earlier election.