NPP orders re-run in Korle Klottey constituency

The Steering Committee of the opposition NPP has ordered a re-run of parliamentary primaries in the Korle Klottey constituency following months of controversy over its fairness.

The party’s decision comes after it agreed with the parties to withdraw the case from court. Announcing the decision, ag. General Secretary John Boadu told anxious party supporters, the re-run was necessary if peace was to prevail in the constituency.

John Boadu said too much litigation has surrounded the results and only a re-run can resolve the factionalism in the constituency.
Philip Addison who went to court after losing to Nii Noi Nortey last August will now have the opportunity to re-launch his parliamentary bid.

He has maintained the results of the August 2 primaries were cooked to favour the former constituency chairman, Nii Noi Nortey.

Addison who polled 22 votes as against 393 votes for Nii Nortey boycotted the elections and accused constituency executives and the Electoral Commission of staging the polls.

“The Electoral Commission was very much into this thing, people were given double ballots and so on …they [EC] were in on it. Everything has been cooked”, he said.

Trouble started after then General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong in a letter directed that elections be held on Sunday 2nd August. There was an agreement to hold it on 8th August.

Addison’s camp felt shortchanged and withdrew from the process along with another contender, Nii Adjei Tawiah.

They argued their supporters would be in church on Sunday and other delegates were not adequately informed of the change of date. He went to court where he obtained a default judgement for a re-run.

But the party asked for out-of-court settlement. The latest decision by the party irked some of Nii Noi Nortey’s supporters.

“Take your party! God will punish you people one by one” a woman fumed at the decision as Nii Noi’s supporters left the party office.