NPP Russia Branch Election Dispute Deepens – Election Committee Members Question Legitimacy of Process

The controversy surrounding the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Russia Branch elections has taken a new twist, as members of the Branch Election Committee have rejected the outcome, describing the process that produced the new executive as illegal.

In a statement issued in response to a press release from the newly sworn-in executive, Kobe Oduro, Member of the Election Committee representing the Council of Elders, and Seth Appiah, Member of the Election Committee representing the Branch Executive, say the statement from the executive keeps referring to the External Affairs Directorate, which they argue is a clear violation of the party’s electoral process guidelines for a branch.

“My statement was made before the illegal election was to take place,” Kobe Oduro stated, adding that his position is based on his role as a constituted member of the Election Committee, the party constitution and election guidelines for the external branch.

According to him, the response from the executive is an indication that the External Affairs Directorate endorsed the illegality and went ahead to swear them in.

Seven Key Questions

The Election Committee members say before the outcome can be considered legitimate, critical procedural questions must be answered. They posed seven questions to all external branch members:

1. Was the External Affairs Directorate mandated to conduct or oversee any elections?
2. Did the Elections Committee establish clear guidelines governing how the elections were to be conducted? If so, were those guidelines followed?
3. Was there an Elections Committee in place, and if so, did it carry out its responsibilities as required?
4. How did the External Affairs Director become involved in the election process? What was the basis or authority for that involvement?
5. What evidence is there that the elections were conducted in accordance with the established rules and procedures, and in a manner that would be acceptable to all members?
6. What rules and regulations does the party have governing elections and election-related disputes? If a member believes that those procedures have been breached, are they not entitled to raise a protest or challenge the process?
7. Is it appropriate for an elected representative — in this case, the Communications Officer, who also participated in the election — to be the person responding to concerns or disputes relating to that same election?

“The response they have provided, rather than addressing these procedural questions, raises further concerns about whether the election process was conducted in accordance with the party’s established rules and procedures,” the statement said.

Allow External Branch To Function

Kobe Oduro stressed that his intervention is grounded in law and procedure, not personal interest.

“I am making my statement based on the party constitution and election guidelines for the external branch. The external branch should never be undermined but be allowed to function just as the polling stations in Ghana,” he said.

He further asked a fundamental question that should guide future elections: “Is it NPP External Branch Directorate or it is NPP Russia Branch? Your answer will guide you in your future election.”

The NPP Russia Branch election impasse adds to a growing list of disputes in some external branches, with party members calling on the National Executive and the External Affairs Directorate to ensure strict adherence to the party’s constitution to preserve unity ahead of the 2028 general elections.