Reports from the Akatsi North Constituency in the Volta Region indicate that internal disagreements within the constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have led to the temporary closure of the party office amid ongoing nomination filing activities.
Information gathered by Veritas News GH suggests that the development occurred on Monday, May 4, 2026, at about 1500 hours, when a National Security operative reportedly visited the constituency party office and ordered individuals present to vacate the premises before the office was subsequently locked.
According to accounts available to the media outlet, the operation was allegedly led by one Mr. David Ahanogbe, who is said to have informed persons at the office that the directive to close the facility had been issued by the constituency chairman, Mr Richard Awudza.
At the time of the incident, four individuals were reportedly present at the office. They were identified as Mr Michael Ahiamadia, the office clerk; Mr. Erskine Dziwornu Nuku, Deputy Elections Director of the constituency; and two other party members identified as Agatha and Mr. Kwaku Akpa. No acts of physical violence or destruction were immediately reported in connection with the incident.
The reported closure is said to be linked to disagreements surrounding the ongoing nomination filing process for party aspirants within the constituency. Sources indicate that concerns had emerged over the procedures being used to assist branch executives and aspirants with filing activities.
Mr Kwaku Akpa, who narrated the incident to Veritas News GH, stated that he contacted the Deputy Elections Officer for assistance in filing his nomination after experiencing difficulties accessing the nomination platform on his smartphone.
“I contacted Mr Nuku to assist me with the filing process because I was encountering challenges accessing the platform on my phone. We were in the process of completing the forms when the National Security officer arrived at the office and ordered us to leave, claiming he had been directed by the constituency chairman to do so. We complied to avoid any further confrontation,” he stated.
Mr. Richard Awudza justified the decision, stating that prior directives had been issued for a temporary suspension of all nomination filing activities within the constituency. He alleged that the Deputy Elections Director failed to comply with those instructions by continuing to assist some aspirants with the filing process across several branches in the constituency.
Independent investigations further indicated that the constituency’s Member of Parliament had announced to settle filing fees on behalf of all branch executives, raising questions as to why some individuals were still making separate payments to complete their nominations. According to sources familiar with the matter, the continuation of the filing process under those circumstances was considered inappropriate by the constituency leadership.
The constituency chairman is also reported to have suspended the Deputy Elections Director, Mr Erskine Dziwornu Nuku, over his alleged involvement in assisting aspirants with the filing process despite the directive issued by the constituency leadership.
Meanwhile, Mr Nuku, in an exclusive interview with Veritas News GH, defended his actions, insisting that his conduct was not intended to undermine or disregard directives issued by party leadership.
“My assistance to the affected party members was not in any way an attempt to flout the directive by the chairman and the Member of Parliament. These individuals complained about their inability to access the platform, so I was only assisting them to do so, even on their own phones,” he explained.
He further stated that, as an elections officer, he had been directed by the Regional Elections Directorate to engage with the filing platform and report any technical malfunctions encountered during the process. According to him, assisting affected members also provided an opportunity to identify and report challenges associated with the platform for possible improvement.
“Besides, as an elections officer, we were directed by our Regional Elections Directorate to engage the filing platform and report any possible malfunctions. So this process only offered me the opportunity to identify challenges with the system and report them for improvement,” he added.
However, questions have reportedly been raised by some party members and observers within the Constituency regarding the basis for the suspension and whether the constituency executives possess the authority to unilaterally impose such disciplinary measures under the party’s internal regulations. Concerns have also reportedly been expressed about the possible implications of the decision on the transparency and accessibility of the nomination process within the constituency.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the National Democratic Congress at the regional and national levels had not publicly commented on the matter.
The incident is expected to further intensify discussions within the constituency regarding internal party administration, nomination procedures, and adherence to due process ahead of the party’s internal electoral activities.
