General News
‘They Printed Their Own Ballot Papers’ – Okatakyie’s Team Makes Explosive Allegations Over NPP Election
The campaign team of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for Afigya Sekyere East, Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah, has accused some constituency officials of illegally proceeding with a suspended constituency executive election by allegedly printing their own ballot papers and preparing electoral materials despite a court injunction and party directives.
In a statement issued on July 12, 2026, the communications team of Afrifa Mensah said the disputed election was conducted in defiance of a directive from the NPP National Steering Committee and an interim injunction issued by the High Court in Kumasi, which had restrained the party from continuing with aspects of the electoral process.
The statement followed the arrest of Afrifa Mensah by officers of the Ashanti North Regional Police Command on Sunday morning.
According to the campaign, the NPP National Steering Committee, through Acting National Chairman Danquah Smith, had on July 6 directed the immediate suspension of the Afigya Sekyere East Constituency Executive Committee elections pending the outcome of an ongoing court case.
The team explained that the directive came after the High Court granted an interim injunction preventing the party and its officials from conducting activities related to the electoral process, including polling station elections, electoral area coordinators’ elections, and the subsequent constituency executive election.
Despite the court order and the party’s directive, the campaign alleged that some constituency officials, with the support of heavily armed police officers and Electoral Commission personnel, printed their own ballot papers, produced delegates’ albums and made arrangements to hold the suspended election.
The statement said Afrifa Mensah, who has declared his intention to contest the NPP parliamentary primaries, went to the election venue after receiving information that the suspended process was taking place.
According to his campaign, his intention was to verify the situation and formally notify electoral officials about both the court injunction and the National Steering Committee’s directive suspending the election.
However, the team claimed that upon arriving at the venue, Afrifa Mensah and some of his supporters were allegedly assaulted by police officers before being arrested.
It further alleged that Afrifa Mensah and four members of his team sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving medical treatment.
The campaign also accused the police of failing to promptly inform his family, lawyers and campaign team of his whereabouts after the arrest.
The statement stressed that Afrifa Mensah neither owns nor operates any vigilante group and maintained that he and his supporters had no intention of causing violence.
According to the campaign, Afrifa Mensah was later transferred to the Divisional Police Command at Asante Mampong, where he remained in police custody pending further legal processes.
The team called on party supporters and the general public to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while allowing legal processes to take their course.
It also reaffirmed Afrifa Mensah’s commitment to the NPP, saying he remains dedicated to contributing to the party’s growth, unity and development through lawful, democratic and constitutional means.
The statement recalled that the NPP National Steering Committee had suspended Constituency Executive Committee elections in both the Afigya Sekyere East and Asante Akyem Central constituencies following court injunctions.
A memorandum dated July 6, 2026, directed that all activities relating to the affected constituency elections be halted until further notice or until the courts determine the pending applications.
The party noted that, as a law-abiding political organisation, it is obliged to comply fully with court orders while pursuing the appropriate legal processes to challenge the injunctions where necessary.