Despite a party-wide boycott, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, has confirmed her participation in the parliamentary rerun slated for Friday, July 11, 2025.
Her decision comes in open defiance of her party’s stated position not to take part in the rerun, which was ordered by the Electoral Commission (EC) over irregularities in the results from 19 polling stations during the December 7, 2024, general elections.
Speaking to journalists at her office in Odorkor, Accra, on Thursday, July 10, Owusu Afriyie said she remains undeterred and fully ready for the contest.
“I am contesting. We are fully prepared. We are going for this contest tomorrow. First, I want to thank the Almighty God for protecting us throughout these seven months. We went for elections on December 7, and I won that election,” she declared.
Court Dismisses Attempt to Halt Rerun
Owusu Afriyie’s last-minute attempt to stop the rerun was thrown out by the High Court on Wednesday, July 9. Justice Ali Baba Abature, who presided over the matter, dismissed her motion as “unmeritorious,” arguing that stopping the rerun would obstruct the Electoral Commission’s constitutional duty and deny the constituents their right to parliamentary representation.
The court’s ruling effectively paved the way for the rerun in the disputed polling stations.
Breaking Ranks with the NPP
The NPP, which initially backed Owusu Afriyie’s candidacy in 2024, has maintained that the Electoral Commission’s decision to organize a rerun is inconsistent with a January 4, 2025 High Court ruling.
That ruling had ordered the collation and declaration of results from 62 outstanding polling stations. According to the party, as of January 27, only three polling station results were yet to be collated, a position based on public updates from the EC itself.
Nonetheless, the Electoral Commission has stood by its decision to rerun the polls in the 19 affected stations, citing discrepancies that compromised the credibility of the original outcome.
By confirming her participation, Owusu Afriyie has effectively broken ranks with her party’s official stance—choosing to enter the contest solo, but with confidence.
What Lies Ahead?
With the Electoral Commission poised to proceed and one of the main candidates ready to contest, Friday’s rerun in Ablekuma North will not only decide who represents the constituency in Parliament—it could also redefine political loyalties within the NPP.
As the clock ticks toward the poll, all eyes will be on whether Akua Afriyie’s bold gamble pays off—or leaves her isolated within her own political home.
