The Nalerigu High Court has restrained five members co-opted by the Nalerigu/Gambaga Constituency Executives of the National Democratic Congress from participating in the party’s Regional Executive Elections scheduled for November 14, 2026.
The injunction follows a legal challenge by seven party members, led by Safianu Akunloya Akukua, the Nalerigu/Gambaga Constituency Chairman of the NDC, who are contesting the eligibility of the five members to participate in the regional elections.
The court, presided over by Justice Samuel Bright Acquah, granted an ex parte application for an interlocutory injunction on November 12, 2026, restraining the defendants from participating in the elections pending further proceedings.
The five affected members are Alhassan Iddrisu, Abdulai Mahamudu, Mahama Yussif, Mumuni Abdul Salimu and Naabu Tamanja. In its ruling, the court said it was convinced that the application raised a triable issue concerning an alleged breach of the NDC’s constitution. It also considered the urgency of the matter, noting that only two days remained before the scheduled elections, and said judicial intervention was necessary to forestall possible unrest within the party.
The dispute
According to the affidavit in support of the application, the party’s General Secretary, in a letter dated October 21, 2026, directed all constituencies to nominate five co-opted members and submit their names through the Regional Secretary for onward submission to the party’s headquarters in Accra.
The plaintiffs, however, argued that the process through which the five members were co-opted by the Nalerigu/Gambaga Constituency Executives violated the party’s constitutional provisions, particularly Articles 16 and 49.
They maintained that the disputed co-option and the subsequent attempt to allow the five members to participate in the regional elections raised serious questions about the legality of the electoral process.
The applicants further argued that allowing the five members to vote would confer electoral rights on persons whose co-option they considered unconstitutional, thereby compromising the credibility and legitimacy of the regional elections.
Internal resolution
The applicants said they had made several attempts to resolve the disagreement through the party’s internal structures before resorting to the court.
According to the affidavit, after becoming aware of the co-option arrangements, they petitioned the party’s relevant authorities and subsequently instructed their lawyers to write to the General Secretary through the party’s legal representatives.
The letter was intended to follow up on their earlier petition, but they said they received no satisfactory response to their concerns. They further stated that the defendants had failed to address the complaints despite the approaching regional elections, leaving them with no option but to seek judicial intervention.
Injunction
In arguing for the injunction, the applicants maintained that the balance of convenience favoured suspending the participation of the five members until the court determined the legality of their co-option.
They argued that allowing the elections to proceed with the disputed members voting could permanently affect the electoral rights of eligible party members, even if the court subsequently ruled in their favour. They also invoked the public interest in protecting the integrity of internal party elections, arguing that political parties’ compliance with their own constitutions was important to the credibility of Ghana’s democratic processes.
The court, after considering the application, the submissions of counsel and the documents filed, including the NDC constitution, granted the injunction.
