Confusion has emerged within the NPP ahead of its National Delegates Conference after a High Court writ surfaced listing two party members as plaintiffs in a suit against the party, one of whom has disassociated himself from the case.
The writ, issued from the High Court in Accra and dated July 17, 2025, names Shamsudeen Iddrisu of Walewale and Boateng Kwadwo of Bantama as plaintiffs, with the NPP(National Headquarters) as the defendant.
The document orders the party to respond to the suit within eight days.
However, in a swift reaction Thursday evening, Shamsudeen Iddrisu issued a public statement disowning the lawsuit.
He stated that he had no knowledge of the writ and had not authorised any legal representation on his behalf.
“I entreat the public to disregard the writ as I have not instructed any lawyer to do this on my behalf,” he wrote.
“As a committed member of the NPP, I have absolute respect for the decisions of the National Council and would not use the courts to undermine such decisions.”
Mr Iddrisu reaffirmed his loyalty to the party and expressed anticipation for the upcoming National Delegates Conference scheduled for this weekend at the University of Ghana.
The writ appears to challenge recent decisions by the party’s National Council, though details of the claims are not included in the visible portion of the court document.
The second named plaintiff, Boateng Kwadwo, has not yet commented publicly on the matter.Source: Myjoyonline.com
Chairman of the Accommodation Committee for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) upcoming National Delegates Conference, Divine Otoo Agorhom, has revealed that no court injunction has been served on the party to halt the event.
His comments follow reports that two party members, Shamsudeen Iddrisu and Boateng Kwadwo, have filed a motion at the High Court in Accra seeking an interlocutory injunction to stop the conference scheduled for Saturday, July 19.
Divine Otoo Agorhom
In an exclusive interview on Channel One Newsroom, Mr. Agorhom, who also serves as the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, dismissed the claims, stressing that the planning and preparations for the event are proceeding without any legal hindrance.
He assured that the committee remains focused on delivering a successful conference, with all logistical and accommodation arrangements firmly in place.
“We met even today, and as at the time I was leaving the stadium and as at the time I was leaving to your studio here, nothing of such has come to the notice of the committee.
“So as far as I am concerned, we have a conference coming on Saturday and nothing is changing. Nothing of such has come to our notice as we speak,” he stated.Source:Juliana Odame Asare
Two members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Shamsudeen Iddrisu and Boateng Kwadwo, have filed a suit at the High Court (General Jurisdiction Division) in Accra seeking to stop the party from holding its planned Extraordinary National Delegates Conference.
A file photograph of a section of the national executive
The writ, filed on Monday, July 15, 2025, was brought before the court by their lawyer, Agyemang Duah of Charisbrit Legal Consult. The applicants are praying the court for “an Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the Defendant/Respondent herein from organising the Extraordinary National Delegates Conference scheduled to take place at the University of Ghana Stadium, Accra, from 18th to 20th July, 2025, pending the final determination of the instant suit.”
The applicants argue that the planned conference contravenes the NPP’s constitution, particularly provisions relating to the proper sequencing of regional and national conferences.
In his supporting affidavit, Boateng Kwadwo, who is also the second plaintiff/applicant, stated:
“Per the Constitution, in every year, at least four (4) weeks prior to the National Annual Delegates Conference, there shall be a Regional Annual Delegates Conference organised by the Party in every Region.”
He further added:
“The Constitution further provides that the National Annual Delegates Conference shall meet once every year, at least four (4) weeks after the last of the Regional Annual Delegates Conference.”
According to him, the party has failed to comply with these mandatory steps before proceeding with the extraordinary national gathering.
Boateng Kwadwo, a card-bearing member from the Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region, indicated that the action is necessary to ensure the party stays within the bounds of its own rules and avoids a situation that could compromise the legitimacy of its decisions.
The suit has been filed against the New Patriotic Party, headquartered at Asylum Down, Accra, as the sole defendant/respondent. The court is expected to hear the motion for injunction in the coming days.Source:Evans Osei-Bonsu
As Parliament moves to pass the National Scholarship Authority Bill by the end of this week, education policy experts and civil society groups are raising red flags over its potential to bring real reform to Ghana’s scholarship system.
Chairman of Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, announced on July 15 that the bill aims to improve transparency and oversight in the administration of scholarships nationwide.
But education advocate Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, says the proposed law risks entrenching existing problems rather than solving them.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, July 17, 2025, he criticised the bill’s governance framework, describing it as a mere reshuffling of control within the executive arm of government.
Kofi Asare
“The new bill is simply transferring power from one group of executives to another group of executives,” he said. “The board will comprise the Ministers of Education, Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General, and others. So is it just a transfer of power over who benefits from scholarships from one group of executives to another?”
Mr. Asare argued that the bill, in its current form, fails to address key issues such as nepotism, political interference, and the lack of merit-based selection.
“If you do that, you will be doing the same thing and expecting different results, and you will not get different results,” he said.
He advocated for a separation of powers within the scholarship process, where the regulatory body sets standards but is not involved in awarding scholarships.
“Best practice dictates that faculty reward scholarships or recommend people for scholarships. The authority normally regulates the awarding of the scholarship; they set the standard and ensure that the faculty conforms to the standards.”
He cautioned that allowing the executive full control over scholarship approvals would only repeat the failures of the past.
“If the same executive arm of government is approving scholarships, you are not solving the problem—you are just repeating the same thing that was done by the previous government,” he said.Source:William Narh
Former Senior Presidential Aide, Dr Tony Aidoo has condemned the recent attack on former Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Mavis Hawa Koomson, stating that “nothing justifies the assault against Hawa Koomson.”
In an exclusive interview on JoyNews, Dr Aidoo criticised the act of violence while acknowledging Koomson’s controversial political style.
He said,“I wouldn’t say Hawa Koomson should not have been there; she has the right to be there, but you see, the very personality and behaviour of Hawa Koomson are so provocative that she invites problems for herself. She acts like a one-woman warrior.
Mavis Hawa Koomson struggling to stand on her feet after the assault
“A rabble-rouser wherever she goes, but nonetheless, I don’t think she deserves to be attacked, and I believe the government must do something about it in terms of identifying the culprits and bringing them to book.”
Turning to the broader political implications, Dr Aidoo highlighted the NDC’s historical values and its responsibility in upholding democratic standards.
“The NDC as a political party has a greater moral responsibility, not because it is now in power but by virtue of its historical process of becoming. Built with the principles of probity, accountability, and social justice.”
He urged President John Mahama to ensure such incidents do not mirror past events like the Ayawaso West violence.
“So the standard of judging the performance of the government, especially of the NDC government, must be higher, and therefore it is up to President Mahama that history doesn’t repeat itself like it happened at the Ayawaso West.”
Dr Aidoo distinguished the latest incident in Ablekuma North from the Ayawaso case but still pointed fingers at the NDC.
“Ayawaso was a state-sponsored thuggery; Ablekuma North was not, but nonetheless, the NDC still bears responsibility because the people involved are alleged to come from the NDC. There is no evidence, but it is up to the police to identify who the culprits are.”Source: Clara Seshie
The organisers of an upcoming Care-connect programme led by JP Cares Incorporated, a non-governmental organisation, have confirmed that all is set for a massive health screening, feeding and donations to widows and orphans within the Sekyere South Municipality, especially in the district capital, Agona, in the Ashanti Region.
The objectives of the programme are to provide health screening, backpacks to specifically two Schools (Interbeton School in Agona and Abrakaso DA School).The rest of the donations and activities are open to the public including feeding about 1,000 people, donation of sanitary items, dental essentials, clothing while promoting mental health awareness and community engagement.
The sanitary items are pads and deodorants, including dental essentials such as toothbrushes, etc.
The event, which is led by JP Cares, with the support of the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection and the Agona Government Hospital, is scheduled for Wednesday, 23rd July 2025 at Interbeton School, Agona, Ashanti.
The organisers are, therefore, encouraging all Ghanaians, especially those in the Sekyere South Municipality, to join the event.
JP Cares is a non-profit organisation with a clear mission of empowering at- risk youth and children to thrive,JP Cares provides holistic support through mentorship, education, community engagement,and wellness initiatives, fostering resilience,hope,and brighter future.
Our Vision:To cultivate a compassionate world where vulnerable youths and children, regardless of their circumstances, thieves with dignity, support,and opportunity.
The recent attempt by certain elements within the National Executive Committee (NEC) to expand the party’s Electoral College, based on recommendations following the Quaye Committee Report, is not just misguided. It is a flagrant violation of the New Patriotic Party’s founding principles, and a direct assault on its long-cherished tradition of bottom-up democracy.
To deliberately marginalize polling station executives, the bedrock of our party’s structure is not only procedurally improper; it is constitutionally offensive. No one should dare claim that “there is no data.” The party has maintained comprehensive electoral records and polling station databases since 2012. To pretend otherwise is to insult our collective intelligence and institutional memory.
This calculated expansion, without broad-based consultation or the consent of the grassroots, amounts to a structural hijack, orchestrated to serve narrow personal and political interests. It bypasses the legitimate organs of the party and undermines the very people who toil daily to uphold the NPP’s fortunes at the base.
Let it also be stated without ambiguity: The utter disrespect being shown to President John Agyekum Kufuor, one of the party’s founding fathers and the living conscience of our democratic tradition, is not only shameful, it is immoral. To disregard his counsel and the voices of other revered statesmen within the party, simply to perpetuate a selfish agenda, is to spit on the legacy that brought the NPP into existence.
Let the world know: we will not sit idly by. We will not allow this blatant subterfuge to succeed. The truth will prevail. The grassroots will speak. And when they do, history will remember those who stood on the side of justice.
Why this indecent haste? Why the rush to disfigure our party’s democratic soul? Why are you dragging us into a manufactured crisis at the very moment when unity and credibility should be our top priorities?
The NPP was founded on Danquah-Busia-Dombo principles of inclusiveness, grassroots empowerment, and fidelity to democratic norms. This reckless path you have chosen is a betrayal of that sacred covenant. It disenfranchises the ordinary party foot soldier in favor of backroom manipulation and elite consolidation.
We, therefore, call on all polling station executives, the true custodians of our party’s democratic will, to resist this affront with dignity and courage. To permit such an act is to preside over the slow, painful death of the NPP’s internal democracy. Let history show that when democracy was endangered from within, the grassroots stood firm.
Anything less would be complicity in the erosion of our party’s moral authority and constitutional integrity.
Aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has sharply criticised President John Dramani Mahama for his continued silence following the violent disturbances that marred the parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency on Friday, July 11, 2025.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, July 16, he condemned the attacks, emphasising that violence has no place in Ghana’s democratic process and should be condemned by all, regardless of political affiliation.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye President John Mahama
“It is an unfortunate situation. I am completely against violence in any form, and I am of the view that bullets know no political colours. It has been six days and the president is yet to make a simple comment on it,” he stated.
He expressed disappointment at the silence from President Mahama, describing it as deeply worrying, especially when journalists, politicians, and even innocent civilians, including a woman, were assaulted in broad daylight.
“At the scene, journalists were beaten, politicians, ordinary people, and even a lady was slapped, and we have the president completely quiet as if he doesn’t live in the country and doesn’t know what is going on. Even just a tweet or Facebook post will do,” he added.
According to him, such silence from a statesman of Mr. Mahama’s stature undermines public confidence and fails to show solidarity with victims of political violence.
“Those things are very cautious to do for your people. If the president is listening, I will urge him to do so because it is not too late. It will be a blot on his conscience if he doesn’t because I will not stop talking about it,” he stressed.
The parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency turned chaotic when a group of unidentified macho men stormed the St. Peter’s polling centre, causing confusion and disrupting the voting process.
Channel One News’s Jude Duncan reported that Former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson was attacked in the fracas.
Eyewitnesses said the group arrived in a well-coordinated fashion, triggering panic among voters and electoral officials. The ensuing violence led to a temporary suspension of voting activities until security personnel intervened to restore order.
In response to the incident, the Accra Regional Police Command released a statement signed by Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Head of the Public Affairs Unit, assuring the public of thorough investigations.Source:Patricia Boakye
Karen Baaba Sam, the young mother at the heart of a child custody battle with the father of her six-year-old daughter, has instituted an action at the High Court in Accra against The New Crusading Guide newspaper, its publisher Kweku Baako Jr, and the editor of the paper, Ernest Addo, over what she describes as a “false, malicious and defamatory” publication that has caused her and her six-year old daughter severe emotional and reputational harm.
According to a Writ of Summons issued and filed at the High Court registry on 11 July 2025, Baaba Sam, who is suing on her behalf and that of her daughter (referred to as minor “O”), is seeking among other things: a declaration that the defendants’ publications are defamatory, general and aggravated damages, a public retraction and apology, and an injunction restraining any further publications relating to her and her child.
False publication
The lawsuit stems from a front-page story published by the New Crusading Guide on 2 July 2025, with the headline: “Karen Baaba Sam Elopes With Child… Hops Out With ‘Boyfriend’ On Brussels Airline After Losing Custody Battle.”
The article, which included photographs of Baaba and her daughter, claimed that she had fled Ghana illegally with her child in violation of a court order, following an unfavourable ruling in an ongoing child custody case.
In her Statement of Claim, Baaba refuted the assertions in the New Crusading Guide Publication, describing the report as “a grossly malicious account of the court proceedings, plainly calculated to cast the Plaintiff (Karen Baaba Sam) as a criminal who has eloped from justice.”
Baaba’s pleadings
Ms Karen Baaba Sam narrates that the domestic abuse and custody dispute have been pending in the various courts since April 2024, follow years of persistent violent abuses suffered at the hands of her ex-partner and the little child’s father, named Kwadwo Adjei (popularly called Nana Adjei) which abuses compelled Plaintiff to terminate her relationship with the Nana Adjei.
“The Pending cases are yet to even proceed to trial and for judgments to be delivered by the respective courts, together with several associated suits that have since been filed.
“Pending the final determination of the domestic abuse and child custody case, the respective courts have made several interlocutory orders since April 2024, including one made on 24 March 2025 wherein the Plaintiff (Baaba Sam) was granted interim access to the little child on weekdays and the father was granted interim access on weekends.
“On 11 June 2025, the interim access orders were quashed by another court at the instance of the father (Nana Adjei), and following which Karen Baaba Sam exercised her rights and picked up her little child from school.
“21 days later and during the little child’s school vacation, she (Baaba Sam) was confronted with countless calls and panicked enquiries early morning of Wednesday 2 July 2025 from family members, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues enquiring about her and her child, their safety, and whereabouts.
“Whereupon Ms Sam says she was informed that photographs of her and her little child had been splashed on the front page of the Vol. 17 No. 080 issue of the New Crusading Guide newspaper with the bold caption: “Karen Baaba Sam Elopes With Child…Elops Out With Boyfriend On Brussels Airline After Losing Custody Battle”.
Ms Baaba Sam further narrates in her pleadings that “the photograph of her and her little child was one of only four colour-printed headline stories, and the second largest front page publication, with readers directed to the main story on page 3 of the newspaper.
“At the directed page 3, the 3rd Defendant had devoted an entire half- page to author and publish gross falsehoods, laced with half-truths, deceptive words and implications of a criminal, such as “slippery lady”, “fled the shores of Ghana”, “traffick [ed] the girl child from Ghana”, amidst others in an utterly false, misleading and malicious account of the court proceedings, plainly calculated to and casting the Plaintiff as a “criminal who has “eloped from justice, among others.”
According to Ms Sam, “at the time of the publication, the custody and domestic abuse proceedings had not yet concluded and were still pending in court. She explained that the court had issued interim access orders, which were later quashed at the request of the child’s father. Following this, she legally picked up her daughter from school on June 11, 2025.
“Despite this, the New Crusading Guide newspaper claimed she had “fled the shores of Ghana,” “trafficked the girl child,” and had done so with the help of a male acquaintance, whom the article identified as her boyfriend.” The publication further alleged that “available evidence, including flight manifest and other documented evidence showed that Baaba departed Ghana on a Brussels flight June 13…”
“These statements were not only false and misleading, but also intentionally framed to portray her as a “slippery lady” and a fugitive engaged in child trafficking. She described the language used, such as “fled the shores of Ghana,” “trafficked the girl child,” and “refused to return the child”, as criminalizing, slanderous, and damaging to her dignity and safety,” Baaba Sam stated in her pleadings.
Consistent pattern
Ms Baaba Sam further indicated in her statement of claim that the “conduct of the defendants follows a consistent pattern that has continued from January 2025, and orchestrated to expose her to emotional, psychological and physical abuses and threats, and in complete violation of statutory laws for the protection of persons such as her and her infant child from harm and injuries from such publications.”
“The Defendants are not only engaged in defaming and lowering her esteem and reputation in the eyes and minds of the ordinary members of the public, but also embarked on a crusading enterprise to make and reap immense commercial gains from the extremely traumatic ordeals she and her little child continue to be subjected to, by the persistent false, injurious and sensational publications of and concerning her.
Illegal CCTV footage
Karen Baaba Sam states that in their (the defendants’) quest to defame her for commercial gain, the Defendants flagrantly disregarded laws against the publication that identifies a child in domestic abuse and custody matters.
Karen Baaba Sam adds that “the Defendants went to the extent of procuring persons holding offices in both the public service and the private sector, mainly in the security, communication and information services, and funded by Kwadwo Adjei, to procure statutorily restricted records about her and her little child, to perpetrate their defamatory, damaging and injurious conduct against her and her little child.
“Plaintiff (Baaba Sam) adds that the images published were illegally procured from security footage from CCTV surveillance cameras installed at places such as the airports, in gross violation of the rights of Ms Baaba Sam and her little child.”
Reliefs sought
In light of the harm caused, Ms Baaba Sam is seeking eight reliefs. First is a declaration that the defendants’ publications are defamatory. Second, a declaration that the defendants publications violate the statutorily guaranteed rights of protection and security of her and her little child “O”.
Third, General damages for defamation. Fourth, general damages for the egregious violation of the guaranteed rights of protection and security of the Plaintiff (Ms Baaba Sam) and her little child. Fifth, aggravated, punitive, as well as exemplary damages for the defendants’ grossly unwarranted and unjustified publications.”
Sixth, an order compelling the defendants to issue a written retraction of the defamatory statements and render an unqualified apology to Ms Baaba Sam and her little child.”
Seventh, “an order for defendants to publish the retraction and apology in a coloured, front-page publication in the Daily Graphic newspaper, and additionally through the same channels they published the defamatory statements on three consecutive occasions.”
Lastly, “an order restraining the defendants from any further defamatory and otherwise injurious publications of and concerning Ms Karen Baaba Sam and her little child.”
