Joana Ghansah Cudjoe
The Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has annulled the parliamentary primariy held in the Amenfi Central constituency on May 13, 2023, and has ordered a rerun of the election.
The decision was made by the party’s Functional Executive Committee at a meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
The annulment comes after the election was challenged in court by some party members, who sought the annulment of the primary election results and an order for a rerun of the election over the eligibility of the winner Joana Ghansah Cudjoe, wife of musician, Keche.
Joana’s membership of the party is said to be in doubt over allegations of forgery.
The High Court in Sekondi had been hearing the case, but the NDC’s decision to annul the election and hold new primary appears to have preempted the court’s ruling.
The NDC’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, announced the decision in a press release on September 4, 2024, stating that the party had decided to open fresh nominations for the conduct of new primary in the Amenfi Central constituency.
A timetable for the new primary has been released, with nominations opening on Friday, September 6, 2024, and the election scheduled to take place on a date yet to be announced before EC deadline of filing nominations.
This is not the first time the NDC has faced controversy over its parliamentary primaries.
In the past, the party has faced allegations of vote-buying, intimidation, and other forms of electoral malpractices.
The decision to annul the Amenfi Central primary and hold new elections is seen as an effort to restore credibility and fairness to the party’s electoral process.
Background of the Amenfi Central Primary
The Amenfi Central parliamentary primary was held on May 13, 2023, as part of the NDC’s efforts to select its candidates for the 2024 general elections.
However, the election was marred by allegations of irregularities and disputes over the results.
Some candidates and their supporters alleged that the election was rigged, while others claimed that the process was flawed.
The controversy surrounding the election led to a court case, with some plaintiffs seeking the annulment of the election results and an order for a rerun of the election.
-BY Daniel Bampoe