Three members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have taken legal action against party officials in the Ahafo Ano North Constituency in the Ashanti Region, accusing them of failing to organise polling station elections in 23 locations and disenfranchising members ahead of internal party polls.

According to court documents filed at the High Court in Kumasi, the plaintiffs — Owusu Kwaku, Opoku Yaw and Evans Adu-Gyimah — contend that elections were conducted in only 116 of the constituency’s 139 polling stations between 9 May and 13 May, leaving members in 23 polling stations unable to participate.

The suit names Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano North, Eric Nana Agyeman-Prempeh, the Constituency Executives Committee, the Constituency Electoral Committee and a representative of the Regional Executive Committee as defendants.

The plaintiffs argue that repeated efforts to have elections conducted at the remaining polling stations were unsuccessful.

They further allege that a regional party official publicly dismissed concerns raised by affected members and indicated that the outstanding elections would not be held.

In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs say the failure to organise elections at the affected polling stations would deny members their right to participate in subsequent electoral area coordinator and constituency executive elections.

They are seeking a declaration that the failure to conduct the elections is unlawful, as well as a court order compelling party officials to organise the polls in the 23 outstanding stations.

The suit also seeks an injunction restraining the party from conducting further constituency-level elections until the polling station elections are completed, and requests the removal of one regional official from supervising the process.

The plaintiffs argue that the actions of the defendants amount to bad faith and violate the party’s electoral guidelines.

A writ of summons issued on 5 June by the High Court in Kumasi gives the defendants eight days from the date of service to enter an appearance or risk judgment being entered against them.