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Ablekuma Re-run: Court dismisses NPP’s Akua Afriyie’s 10-day interim injunction application
Barring any last minute development, the Electoral Commission (EC)will on Friday, July 11, 2025, conduct fresh elections in 19 polling stations in the Ablekumah North Constituency, Greater Accra Region.
This was after the High Court in Accra dismissed a 10-day interim injunction application filed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), candidate, Akua Afriyie to stop the EC from conducting elections in the affected polling stations.
The NPP is challenging the decision by the EC to conduct election in the Ablekumah North Constituency because the Commission had earlier told Parliament that it was going to collate results of six polling stations to declare the winner of the election which was held on December 7, 2024 and contested by Mrs Afriyie of the NPP and Mrs Awurabena Aubyn, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the 2024 Parliamentary election.
Earlier, the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Justin Frimpong Kodua, told journalists at a press conference that the NPP would boycott the election, if the EC fails to rescind its decision to re-run polls in 19 polling stations.
Meanwhile, the NDC had proposed that the elections be conducted in 37 polling stations instead of the 19 the EC settled on.
The Ablekumah North Constituency parliamentary election was characterised by violence and irregularities, with the NDC and NPP trading accusations allegations against the EC.
They argue for instance, that the EC, which was expected to be a neutral umpire in the exercise had been compromised.
Both Mrs Aubyn and Mrs Afriyie are still claiming they won the election, but neither of them had been sworn to represent their constituents, seven months in the life of the ninth of Parliament.
It remains to be seen whether the EC would be able to conduct the election without any incident, as previous attempts at relocation with enhanced security were unsuccessful.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee and the member of parliament for Bolgatanga Central constituency, Isaac Adongo, has defended the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama, describing him as the right person to manage the country’s central bank.
According to Mr. Adongo, Ghana would have faced a difficult situation if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had not won the 2024 elections and Dr. Asiama had not been appointed governor.
Speaking in an interview with Edem Mensah-Tsotorme, Online Editor for ghanaiantimes.com.gh, Mr.Adongo said the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), including Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, only wanted to remain relevant within their party.
“Well, the NPP and Kojo Oppong Nkrumah have a job to do. They want to remain relevant in their party. I don’t begrudge them,” he said.
Mr. Adongo praised President John Dramani Mahama for appointing Dr. Asiama as Governor of the Central Bank after returning to power.
He explained that the President carefully assessed the country’s economic challenges while in opposition and chose Dr. Asiama as the best person for the role.
According to him, the governor has so far shown strong leadership at the central bank.
“I’m not saying this because I work closely with him, but sitting on the board with him, his leadership is on par,” he stated.
The lawmaker further noted that the governor understands the concerns of Ghanaians, especially regarding the rising cost of living and economic pressures.
He said government had already done the “heavy lifting” in stabilizing the economy and would now reassess some of its policies to reduce pressure on public finances.
Mr. Adongo expressed optimism that the country would not witness the same level of government expenditure from 2026 onwards.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board and consider the fiscal implications of some of the actions we have taken. I believe that from 2026, we will not see the same magnitude of expenditures,” he added.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has clarified that it did not approve or endorse the recent Karnival Kingdom Festival held in Accra.
In a statement issued on May 7, 2026, the ministry said it did not receive any proposal, request for approval or official communication concerning the organisation of the event.
According to the ministry, it was also unaware of the processes through which the festival was allegedly approved to take place in Ghana.
“The Ministry wishes to state unequivocally that it neither endorsed, sanctioned nor authorised the staging of the event,” the statement said.
The clarification follows public criticism and discussions on social media over activities associated with the festival, including the circulation of what many described as culturally unacceptable content.
The ministry acknowledged concerns raised by sections of the public and various stakeholders regarding the conduct and nature of the event.
It explained that as the supervisory institution for the tourism, culture and creative arts sector, it expects all organisers of public festivals and entertainment events to follow established regulatory procedures and engage the relevant state institutions before holding such activities.
The ministry therefore urged organisers of tourism, cultural, entertainment and recreational events to obtain the necessary approvals before staging programmes in the country.
According to the statement, the ministry remains committed to promoting tourism and cultural activities that respect Ghana’s laws, values and cultural identity.
It added that the country’s reputation as a safe and culturally respectful destination must be protected at all times.
By: Jacob Aggrey
