One person has been injured and three others arrested after violence disrupted the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Executive Elections in the Bantama Constituency of the Ashanti Region.
The disturbances reportedly began when a group of individuals, allegedly led by some party members, stormed the election venue and attempted to halt the voting process, insisting that the election should not have been held because a court injunction had been obtained by aggrieved party members.
Eyewitnesses said the group vandalised election materials and challenged the legitimacy of the officials conducting the exercise, arguing that they were not officers of the Electoral Commission and therefore lacked the authority to oversee the polls.
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The Bantama Constituency had already become a flashpoint ahead of the elections following allegations and counter-allegations between the incumbent Constituency Chairman and the First Vice Chairman over the alleged removal of the names of some delegates from the electoral album.
The injunction was secured by Paul Asare, Marcus James Kwadwo Osei, and Enoch Ofori Amanfo, all members of the NPP in the Bantama Constituency.
The applicants sought to restrain the party’s national headquarters, the supervisor of the constituency elections, and the NPP Bantama Constituency from conducting the Constituency Executive Elections until the legal issues surrounding the electoral album had been resolved.
Despite the court order, some individuals allegedly proceeded with the election, triggering the confrontation that forced the process to a standstill.
The violence left delegates stranded at the Kumasi Cultural Centre, where the election was being held, as security personnel worked to restore calm.
Police have since taken control of the situation and maintained a security presence at the venue while investigations continue.