A petition has been submitted to the Elections Vetting Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Suame Constituency, challenging the academic qualification presented by a constituency executive aspirant, Mr Pius Acheampong, ahead of the party's 2026 internal elections.

The petition, dated June 18, 2026, requests the committee to verify the authenticity of the certificate submitted by Mr Acheampong in support of his nomination for the constituency election. It argues that the verification is necessary to ensure compliance with the party's rules governing eligibility for constituency executive positions.

Addressed to the Chairman of the Elections Vetting Committee, the petitioner, Abraham Kofi Asiedu, cited Rule 17(f) of the NPP's 2026 Rules and Regulations, which stipulates that applicants seeking election as Constituency Secretary, Research Officer and Electoral Affairs Officer must possess at least a diploma or a higher qualification. The petition also referenced Rule 18, which places the responsibility on aspiring constituency executives to satisfy the vetting committee that they meet all qualification and eligibility requirements.

The petitioner is therefore asking the committee to validate the originality of the certificate presented by Mr Acheampong and to verify it directly with the educational institution that purportedly issued it, indicating a willingness to bear any financial cost associated with the verification process.

The petition further states that the request is being made in accordance with the NPP's constitution and the regulations approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Council (NC) to govern the conduct of the ongoing constituency executive elections.

According to the petitioner, the matter is intended to safeguard the credibility of the party's internal electoral process by ensuring that all aspirants satisfy the prescribed qualification requirements before being cleared to contest.

The petition also alleged that Mr Acheampong had, at a press conference on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, indicated that he possessed a first degree, a claim the petitioner believes warrants independent verification.

Copies of the petition were addressed to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, the Member of Parliament for Suame, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Constituency Elections Committee and the Ashanti Regional Secretary, among other party officials.

The Suame Constituency Elections Committee is expected to consider the petition as part of the vetting process before finalising the list of qualified candidates for the party's constituency executive elections.