The Ghana Weightlifting Federation’s election was halted by National Security after executives defied a court injunction filed by Michael Nii Annan Yarboi due to alleged malpractices. Female weightlifter Marie Korkor Agbah-Hughes confirmed the injunction was ignored in efforts to proceed with the elections, leading to the intervention. Jerry Ahmed Shaib is competing for the presidency against Yarboi amid escalating tensions during the electoral process.
The Ghana Weightlifting Federation’s elective congress election was abruptly halted by National Security officials after it was revealed that the Federation executives had disregarded a court injunction. This injunction was initiated by Michael Nii Annan Yarboi, a former NDC Parliamentary Aspirant, who sought to pause the elections due to allegations of malpractice.
Marie Korkor Agbah-Hughes, a Ghanaian female weightlifter, indicated that the federation had received an injunction notice from the Accra High Court. Despite this, the Federation proceeded to organize the election scheduled for March 8, 2025, which prompted the National Security’s intervention to stop the event.
Agbah-Hughes elaborated, “We were supposed to have the Weightlifting [Federation] elections, but there was an injunction sent because the elections committee was running an illegal election. The board for the Weightlifting Federation had their term run out on February 18, but they were still going to go ahead with the elections.”
In the political arena, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Second Deputy Minority Whip of the New Patriotic Party, is contesting for a second term in the federation against Michael Nii Annan Yarboi. Tensions escalated at the election venue, leading to an altercation between supporters of the two candidates.
Although the source of invitation for the National Security officers remains uncertain, they were able to restore order and subsequently ordered the elections to cease immediately.
In conclusion, the Ghana Weightlifting Federation’s elections were halted due to the disregard of a court injunction, highlighting significant issues surrounding governance and electoral integrity within the Federation. The intervention by National Security underscores the serious implications of defying legal proceedings, as seen in the tensions between competing candidates and their supporters. This situation reflects ongoing challenges in managing sports governance in Ghana.
Original Source: www.ghanaweb.com
