GIMPA graduate elections plunged into chaos amid management manipulations

Graduate students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) are facing increasing uncertainty and frustration as the release of the voters’ register for the Graduate Students’ Association (GRASAG–GIMPA) elections remains delayed by the Institute’s management.

The elections, initially scheduled for Saturday, 6th December 2025, have been officially postponed by the GRASAG Senate, the Association’s highest governing body, to Friday, 12th December 2025.

Voters’ registers still withheld

The GRASAG Electoral Commission has stated that it cannot conduct fair elections without access to the official list of registered graduate students.

However, the Dean of Students, Prof. Augustina Akonnor, has refused to release the register, citing an unresolved petition filed by a student, Prince Kwabena Tafah, as the reason.

Petition sparks controversy

The petition was submitted to the Dean of Students to suspend election preparations until the students’ concerns are addressed.

Critics argue that this move contradicts GRASAG’s Constitution, which requires that election disputes be handled first by the Association’s Judicial Committee. A senior student, speaking anonymously, said:

“It’s not about who is right or wrong. The problem is that Management, through Prof. Akonnor, who is a known member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is applying the rules differently from how they expect students to apply them. She is playing partisan politics because the executives are allegedly aligned with the ruling National Democratic Congress.”

Confusion and communication breakdowns

Multiple student leaders report that repeated messages from GRASAG’s Electoral Commission to the Dean and the Acting Director of Academic Affairs, Mrs Akua Bernieh Armar, went unanswered for days. “This is the first time in years that internal elections are facing this level of management resistance,” one student lamented.

Legal intervention escalates tensions

The situation intensified when GRASAG retained legal counsel to demand the immediate release of the voters’ register. The lawyer warned that continued refusal could prompt legal action, including injunctions—a clear signal that normal dialogue has broken down.

High-level oversight or engineered confusion?

Reports indicate that Rector Prof. Samuel Kwaku Bonsu and Deputy Rector Prof. Ebenezer Adaku, described by some students as NPP card-bearing members, are closely involved in the crisis.

Critics argue that rather than simply monitoring events, the pair is engineering confusion in student governance, exacerbating delays and creating opportunities for political manoeuvring.

Allegations of election manipulation

The controversy has deepened with claims that Prince Kwabena Tafah is manoeuvring to become GRASAG President. It is alleged that a graduate student named Justy Esther Wilson, a confidant of Tafah, said the Deputy Rector Prof. Adaku assured them the elections could be delayed until next semester, allowing an Interim Management Committee to oversee the process.

Tafah is also accused of threatening to report the current GRASAG President, Celestine Adu, to her employers, to intimidate her, and to create opportunities for the IMC once the current executives graduate. Wilson herself has reportedly been caught on tape discussing the controversy. She alleges that the media smear campaign against GRASAG officials, including Secretary Dr. Victoria Kumbour and Prof. Wisdom Akpalu, was orchestrated by Prof. Adaku, not her. She also reportedly braggadociously told a GRASAG aspirant that their GHc1,200 filing fee was wasted because, according to Prof Adaku, Management would not allow the elections to be held.

Wilson additionally claims to supply Prof Adaku weekly with a drink called “P-GIN Juice.”

Earlier in October this year, GRASAG publicly accused the Dean of Students and her team of disrupting significant campus events, including the 24-Hour Economy Public Lecture featuring Presidential Advisor for 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Mr Augustus Goosie Tannoh, and the Women’s Empowerment Summit, which was to be attended by Deputy Chief of Staff Nana Oye Bampoe Addo.

Students demand transparency

Students have voiced concerns that prolonged delays could force the formation of an interim body, potentially undermining GRASAG’s independence. Calls for transparency, fairness, and the timely release of the voters’ register continue to grow louder.

Attempts to obtain an official comment from GIMPA Management have been unsuccessful, with officials citing ongoing internal consultations.

Meanwhile, students hope the elections proceed smoothly to preserve the integrity and autonomy of their Association.

Source: InGhanaNewsToday.com