Former Minister Cynthia Morrison barred from running as independent candidate by court order

A District Magistrate Court in Agona Swedru, Central Region, has issued an injunction preventing Cynthia Morrison from running as an independent parliamentary candidate for the Agona West Constituency in the upcoming 2024 elections. The court order bars Morrison from presenting herself as a candidate until an ongoing legal case is fully resolved.

Cynthia Morrison, who previously won the Agona West parliamentary seat for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in both 2016 and 2020, decided to run independently following her loss in the party’s primary for the 2024 election. Alleging unfair treatment by the party during the internal primary, Morrison announced her decision to contest as an independent candidate about three months ago.

In the NPP’s April 2024 primary, Morrison secured 152 votes, while Christopher Arthur won the nomination with 240 votes. Despite this loss, Morrison has remained determined to continue her work for the development of Agona West, which she cites as her primary motivation for running independently.

However, the court’s injunction, issued just two months before the election, casts doubt over her candidacy. The ruling prevents Morrison from campaigning or presenting herself as a candidate until the legal matter is fully settled. The court has also instructed the Electoral Commission (EC) to withhold her nomination as an independent candidate until the case is resolved.

This legal action was initiated by three members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Agona West—Emmanuel Addison, Solomon Nyarko, and Harrison A. Aglago. They argue that Morrison is not a resident of the Agona West Constituency but of Agona East, and therefore should not be eligible to contest the seat.

Cynthia Morrison, a former Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, had called on her constituents to rally behind her independent bid, despite the legal and political challenges she faces. Her focus, she insisted, remains on the continued development of the Agona West Constituency.

Morrison has served as the Member of Parliament for Agona West for the past eight years on the NPP ticket, having first been elected in 2016. Her candidacy as an independent now hangs in the balance as the court’s decision threatens to delay or even deflect her bid.