A group calling itself the Grassroots Patriotic Alliance has petitioned the leadership of Ghana’s opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to withdraw its decision annulling constituency executive elections in three Ashanti Region constituencies, arguing the move breached the party’s constitution and denied affected officials a fair hearing.

The petition, signed by the group’s convener, Fred Appiah, and addressed to the National Council, National Executive Committee, National Steering Committee and General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua, challenges the legality of the July decision to invalidate elections in Bantama, Afigya Sekyere East and Adansi Asokwa.

The alliance contends that the elections were conducted under the supervision of regional officers appointed by the party, with the Electoral Commission and Ghana Police Service present to oversee the process.

It argued that the National Steering Committee exceeded its constitutional mandate by annulling completed constituency elections before hearing the Ashanti Regional Steering Committee, which had been invited to respond to the issues only after the annulment was announced.

“The decision violated the constitutional right to be heard,” the petition said, describing the sequence as “judgment… delivered before the hearing.”

The group also argued that the NPP constitution does not expressly empower the National Steering Committee to invalidate completed constituency executive elections, saying such authority rests with the party’s delegates and established electoral structures.

It further defended Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, rejecting suggestions that he acted improperly by swearing in the elected constituency executives.

According to the petition, Wontumi merely performed a ceremonial duty by administering the oath of office to officials whose election results had not been suspended or set aside at the time.

The alliance posed 10 questions to the party’s national leadership, including whether any written directive had been issued instructing Wontumi not to swear in the elected officers and whether the election results had been formally suspended before the annulment.

It also demanded that the party retract the annulment, suspend its implementation pending a constitutional review, disclose the legal basis for the decision, preserve all election materials and grant affected candidates and officials a hearing before any further action is taken.

The petition argued that, if concerns existed over the conduct of the elections, the appropriate response would have been to suspend recognition of the disputed results pending investigations rather than annul the polls outright.

The NPP National Steering Committee on Wednesday (15 July) nullified the constituency executive elections in Bantama, Afigya Sekyere East and Adansi Asokwa, citing what it described as flagrant disregard for party directives and rules during the exercise.

The party has yet to publicly respond to the latest petition.