The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has doubled down on its decision to boycott the Electoral Commission’s (EC) scheduled parliamentary rerun in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North constituency, citing threats to electoral integrity and judicial defiance.
Addressing the issue NPP Deputy General Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, refuted claims that the party’s withdrawal signals apprehension about losing the seat.
“Elections are elections; you can predict to win; you will never predict to lose,” he said, arguing that their decision is based on principle not political strategy.
The EC’s decision to hold the rerun follows chaotic scenes during the December 2024 elections, when security concerns disrupted the collation process and destroyed original result sheets in certain polling stations.
The Commission insists that discrepancies with scanned pink sheets necessitate fresh voting in the affected areas.
But, the NPP argues that 34 out of the 37 polling station results had already been collated and verified, asserting that the EC should comply with the High Court’s order to finalize collation and declare a winner rather than re-running the vote.
According to Mr. Mohammed, ignoring this directive sets a “dangerous precedent.”
“It legitimizes lawlessness and emboldens those who operate outside the democratic process,” he cautioned, warning that such actions risk nurturing future electoral misconduct.
The party maintains that its legal challenge is substantive, not merely procedural.
“We didn’t go to court only for an injunction. We went with a substantive matter. Justice may drive slowly, but justice will definitely be delivered”, he explained.
The EC has scheduled the rerun for Friday, July 11, despite the NPP’s resistance.
