BREAKING: Court Blocks NPP Ashanti Regional Elections Over Electoral Album Dispute

UPDATE — August 15, 2026: The NPP Ashanti Regional Executive Elections have gone ahead despite earlier reports of a court injunction seeking to stop the exercise. The Ashanti Regional Elections Committee said the alleged injunction was invalid and that it had not been properly served with a binding court order. Voting subsequently proceeded, and COKA was elected Regional Chairman. 

KUMASI, Ghana — The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) planned Ashanti Regional Executive Elections have been thrown into uncertainty after the High Court in Kumasi issued an interim injunction restraining the party from holding the election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The development comes just a day before delegates were expected to vote in one of the NPP’s most closely watched regional elections.

According to reports, the order was issued on Thursday, August 13, by the High Court in Kumasi, presided over by Justice Osman Abdul-Hakeem.

Why Has the Court Stopped the Election?

At the centre of the dispute is the electoral register, commonly referred to as the electoral album, to be used for the regional election.

The case was brought by NPP members who are challenging issues surrounding their inclusion or exclusion from the register for the election.

The applicants' concerns have raised questions about whether the electoral album accurately captures all eligible delegates who should participate in the regional contest.

The court has now intervened by temporarily restraining the party from proceeding with the election while the legal matter is considered.

What Exactly Did the Court Order?

The interim injunction reportedly restrains the NPP's Acting National Chairman, General Secretary, National Director of ICT, Ashanti Regional Steering Committee and Ashanti Regional Director from conducting, organising, supervising, facilitating or processing the Ashanti Regional Executive Elections.

That means the planned August 15 election cannot proceed while the injunction remains in force, unless there is a further court order or another lawful development affecting the process.

The application was reportedly argued by counsel Frank Pinto Amartey, appearing for the plaintiffs.

The Case Has Been Adjourned

The legal battle is not over.

Reports indicate that the case has been adjourned to Monday, August 17, 2026, meaning attention will now shift to the next proceedings and the NPP's response to the injunction.

The party could seek to challenge, vary or lift the order, depending on its legal strategy.

For now, however, delegates cannot assume that Saturday's election will go ahead.

Why the Electoral Album Matters

Disputes over electoral registers have already featured in several of the NPP's ongoing internal elections.

Earlier in the party's reorganisation process, disagreements over which register should be used contributed to the suspension of polling-station elections in parts of the Ashanti Region.

In the Ejisu constituency, for example, disagreements emerged over whether the party's internally compiled register or another register should be used, highlighting how sensitive the question of delegate eligibility has become during the NPP's internal elections.

The latest case now takes the issue to the regional level.

Another Legal Setback for NPP Internal Elections

The Ashanti injunction is not an isolated legal challenge to the NPP's internal electoral process.

In May, the High Court in Nalerigu issued an interim injunction affecting polling-station elections in the Bunkpurugu Constituency.

In June, the Sekondi High Court also placed an interim injunction on NPP Electoral Area Elections in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency.

The Ashanti Regional case is particularly significant because it affects an entire regional executive election scheduled for the following day.

What Happens Next?

The immediate questions facing the NPP are now:

• Will the party challenge the injunction?
• Will the court vary or lift the order?
• Will the disputed electoral album have to be reviewed?
• Will the party announce a new date for the Ashanti Regional elections?
• How will the legal dispute affect the wider NPP reorganisation process?

For delegates who had prepared to vote on Saturday, the situation means the planned election is on hold pending further legal developments.

Why Ashanti Region Matters to NPP

The Ashanti Region remains politically significant to the NPP, making its regional executive contest particularly important.

The elected regional executives will be expected to coordinate the party's grassroots structures, organise constituency activities and help position the party ahead of future national political contests.

Consequently, any dispute surrounding the legitimacy or composition of the regional electoral process could have implications beyond Saturday's vote.

Global Pulse GH Fact Check

VERDICT: TRUE.

The central claim that the Kumasi High Court has issued an interim injunction blocking the NPP's Ashanti Regional Executive Elections scheduled for August 15, 2026, is supported by current reports.

However, the injunction is interim, not a final judgment on the underlying dispute. The court has not, at this stage, determined which side is ultimately right.

The case is expected back before the court on Monday, August 17.

Global Pulse GH will continue monitoring the court proceedings and the NPP's response and will update readers as new information emerges.

Editor's Note: This report is based on the latest available court-related reports as of August 14, 2026. Because the matter is ongoing, subsequent court orders could change the status of the election.