A member of the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) legal team, Theophilus Dzimega Junior Esq, has questioned the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision not to participate in the upcoming rerun of parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency.
He described the move as inconsistent with democratic principles.
Speaking on 3FM Sunrise with Helen Appiah-Ampofo on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the private legal practitioner challenged the NPP to return to the polls if they truly believed they had the support of the people in those affected areas.
“Granted that the NPP won all or the majority of those 19 polling stations, what is preventing them from saying, ‘You voted for us, we won, come out again and vote for us?’” Mr. Dzimega questioned.
He also stated that attempts by the NPP seeking a court injunction to halt the rerun may be procedurally misplaced due to the level of preparation already underway.
“A lot of planning has gone into the election on Friday, that is one of the reasons why I feel that this application for injunction might be too late in the day for the court to grant it,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Political Analyst, Dr. Samuel Afriyie Owusu, argues that the NPP’s decision may not be out of fear but a tactical move to avoid deeper electoral implications.
“I won’t say the NPP is afraid of a rerun, but they are just making sure they avoid some calculated risks that they have identified,” he explained.
“Because if you are not careful and you go in and you lose, it presupposes that you are still not grounded in that constituency. I think they have made some calculated risks, which is why they want to stay as principled as they have won the seat, and they will not go for any rerun.”
Their comments come after the Electoral Commission (EC) scheduled the rerun for the Ablekuman North Constituency for Friday, July 11, 2025.
The NPP has expressed dissatisfaction with the EC’s decision and has publicly announced its boycott of the rerun, describing the move as unfair and lacking legal merit. The party maintains that it won the original election and views the EC’s directive as politically motivated.
