Some executives and members of the New Patriotic Party in the Ejisu Constituency of the Ashanti Region have staged a protest against plans to use open voting by headcount in the party’s upcoming polling station elections.

The aggrieved members are demanding that voting be conducted through secret balloting, which they described as the most democratic, transparent and peaceful method of electing polling station executives.

According to the protesters, adopting an open voting system could expose members to intimidation, create divisions within the party and trigger post-election tensions in the constituency.

They argued that secret balloting protects the freedom, dignity and safety of voters while promoting fairness and unity within the party.

The protesting members stated that representatives from the Ashanti Regional leadership had earlier directed that the Electoral Commission’s voters’ register be used for the elections, with voting to be conducted through secret balloting to ensure transparency and peaceful participation.

However, they alleged that the Member of Parliament for Ejisu and his supporters have opposed the directive and are pushing for the use of the party’s membership register instead.

According to the protesters, participation in the recent membership registration exercise was low in several polling stations within the constituency, and relying solely on the membership register could disenfranchise many loyal supporters who were unable to register but remain active within the party.

They warned that such a decision could create frustration, resentment and voter apathy ahead of the 2028 general elections.

One protester claimed that the actions and positions taken by the MP and his supporters had contributed significantly to delays in conducting the polling station elections in the constituency.

Speaking during the protest, Dominic Danquah, the Research and Elections Affairs Officer of the party in the Ejisu Constituency, appealed to the Ashanti Regional Executives to intervene immediately to prevent escalating tensions.

He stressed that the party could not afford internal divisions at a time when it needed strong grassroots mobilisation and reorganisation ahead of the 2028 polls.

The protesting members, together with some constituency executives including Chairman Kofi Ampofo, called on all stakeholders to prioritise unity and work together to ensure free, fair and transparent polling station elections.

Chairman Ampofo maintained that the protest was not aimed at undermining the Member of Parliament but rather to promote peace and unity within the constituency.