Although the NPP had announced its official position not to contest the disputed Ablekuma North election rerun following an unfavourable court ruling, the party’s candidate says she will contest the now high-stakes election.
Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, the NPP candidate, has confirmed her participation in the crucial poll set for Friday, July 11, 2025.
Speaking to journalists at her Odorkor office on Thursday, Akua Afriyie expressed confidence in securing victory, declaring: “I am contesting. We are fully prepared. We are going for this contest tomorrow… I won that election.”
Her affirmation follows a ruling by the Accra High Court on Wednesday, which dismissed her application to halt the rerun. Justice Ali Baba Abature described the motion as “unmeritorious,” stating that stopping the process would impede the Electoral Commission’s (EC) constitutional mandate and disenfranchise constituents.
The EC ordered the rerun in 19 polling stations within the constituency, citing concerns over the credibility of results from the December 2024 general election. The move was initially rejected by the NPP, which insisted that a January 2025 court ruling had settled the matter in Afriyie’s favour.
At a press conference on July 8, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong reaffirmed the party’s belief that Akua Afriyie won the original contest, stating: “We know that our candidate… won the elections with a margin of 414 votes.”
Frimpong emphasized that the party’s leadership remains undeterred: “We are not going to be intimidated.”
However, the local party faithful and sympathisers have now returned to the campaign trail, both on the ground and online.
Akua Afriyie indicated further in her interview that supporters in the constituency had urged her to stay in the race despite the court setback, insisting she won the initial vote and would not be intimidated.
“After the court judgement, people came around and told me not to withdraw from the contest — that they voted for me and they will vote for me again.
I am not afraid of anybody. I am a politician. I am standing firm and will go through with this contest.”
Thursday saw vibrant campaigning in the constituency, with supporters — including the NPP’s “blue army” — energised by the EC’s decision to retain Afriyie’s name and image on the ballot.