The High Court in Nalerigu in the North East Region has issued an interim injunction restraining the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its agents from conducting a scheduled polling station elections in the Bunkpurugu Constituency.
The order, granted on May 8, 2026, follows an ex-parte motion filed by Konlan Yennuyiab and 16 other plaintiffs, all described as members of the party in good standing, who challenged the electoral process over alleged violations of party rules and breaches of natural justice.
Presiding judge, Justice Samuel Bright Acquah, ruled that the applicants had legal capacity to bring the case and that evidence before the court suggested portions of the party’s own regulations had been breached.
According to the court, allowing the elections to proceed as scheduled between May 10 and May 15 could cause “irreparable, irreversible or irredeemable damage” to the plaintiffs and potentially render the final judgment meaningless.
The court therefore restrained the NPP, its agents, assigns, privies, and any persons acting under its authority from organizing or conducting the polling station elections in the constituency until further legal determination.
Speaking to JoyNews after proccedings, lawyer for the 17 applicants, Solomon Bitian Damtar Esq, described the basis for the disqualification of clients as “appaling”
“Some of those reasons are that, they are not registered members of the New Patriotic Party in the constituency – This is palpable falsehood, because these are qualified members with their dues fully paid, members in good standing who participated in the just ended 2026 presidential primaries of the New Patriotic Party”.
According to the lawyer, the party failed to release vetting results within the timelines stipulated by its own electoral guidelines, thereby denying affected persons the opportunity to pursue internal dispute resolution mechanisms before the elections.
Lawyer Solomon further argued that results from some electoral areas had still not been released at the time the case was heard, creating uncertainty for aspirants seeking to challenge their disqualification or secure inclusion in the electoral process.
He alleged that the disqualifications were calculated and orchestrated by the Constituency Executive Committee of the NPP to exclude certain members from participating in the elections.
Lawyer Solomon Bitian also maintained that politics is fundamentally a game of numbers and cautioned against the exclusion of loyal party members for personal or political reasons.
He argued that the electoral process in the constituency had been marred by irregularities, procedural improprieties, and breaches of natural justice, making judicial intervention necessary.
He also disclosed plans to file a motion for an interlocutory injunction within the stipulated period to maintain the suspension of the elections until the substantive case is fully heard and determined.
However, he noted that the matter could still be resolved amicably if the party leadership at the constituency, regional, or national level engages the affected aspirants and grants them the opportunity to contest.
Counsel further indicated that his clients were not interested in prolonged litigation but were seeking fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity for all qualified aspirants.
He stressed that individuals who are disqualified from contesting party elections must be given a fair hearing and clear reasons for their exclusion in line with the principles of natural justice.
Some of the applicants, in an interview with JoyNews, expressed delight over the outcome of the case, accusing members of the constituency executive committee of pursuing a selfish agenda while vowing to pursue the legal battle to its logical conclusion.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com