A former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bantama Constituency Organiser and two others are in police custody following a disturbance that disrupted the party’s constituency executive elections at the Bantama Cultural Centre in Kumasi on Saturday, July 11.
The arrests came after a group allegedly stormed the election venue, damaged electoral materials and interrupted voting, forcing security personnel to intervene.
Delegates at the polling centre identified two of the suspects as Shaibu Bamba, a former Bantama NPP Constituency Organiser, and Abu, the party’s Atowato Polling Station Organiser. Police are yet to officially identify the third suspect.
The three are assisting the Ashanti Regional Police Command with investigations into the incident.
According to eyewitnesses, voting had commenced and was progressing when, at approximately 9:32 a.m., the suspects allegedly entered the venue and disrupted the exercise.
Witnesses claimed election materials were destroyed during the confrontation, triggering panic among delegates, party officials and observers.
One person sustained injuries during the disturbance and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Election Held Amid Reported Injunction
The incident occurred against the backdrop of reports that some constituency executives had secured a court injunction seeking to halt the elections.
Despite the reported legal challenge, the electoral process proceeded, although it remains unclear whether the injunction had been served or was legally enforceable at the time voting began.
Questions Raised Over Election Supervision
Following the disruption, some delegates questioned the conduct of the election, alleging that officials supervising the process were not personnel from the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to the delegates, the NPP had constituted its own election monitoring team to oversee the internal polls, a claim that has not yet received an official response from the party.
Police Maintain Security
Personnel from the Ashanti Regional Police Command, who had been deployed to provide security for the exercise, quickly restored order and arrested the suspects.
Ashanti Regional Police Commander DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto later visited the venue to assess the security situation and monitor developments.
Delegates Call for Peace
Several delegates who spoke after the incident described the violence as regrettable, stressing that internal party elections should be conducted peacefully and transparently.
They urged the NPP leadership to uphold the rule of law, address concerns raised by party members and ensure future internal elections are free from violence and intimidation.
Police say investigations into the disturbance are ongoing, and further action will depend on the outcome of their inquiries.
