Disputed New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Walewale, Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru has expressed disappointment at a court ruling ordering a rerun of the party’s primary in the constituency.
The High Court in Tamale on Monday, September 2, nullified the results of the primary and ordered that a rerun should be conducted.
But in an interview with Citi News, Dr. Kabiru said he was unhappy with the ruling.
“I am in this contest. I was proposed by the people to participate in this contest. I never engaged in any act that would give me undue advantage. And up to today, they have not been able to prove that.
“Even one single act that I did to procure undue advantage. Nobody has accused me of having done anything wrong. Except to say the politics of it.”
Background
Earlier this year in January, Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to the Vice President, edged out Hajia Lariba in a closely fought primary.
The election, which took place under stringent security measures and was attended by regional and constituency executives, resulted in a victory for Dr. Kabiru with 345 votes, compared to the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Hajia Lariba Zuweratu’s 338 votes.
Hajia Lariba promptly disputed the election results and lodged an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court, accusing the party, Dr Kabiru, and the Electoral Commission of electoral irregularities and misconduct.
In the primary, two other candidates, Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama, received 145 and 1 vote, respectively. Initially, the NPP, as a third defendant, sought to have the case dismissed, alleging that Hajia Lariba had breached the party’s constitution by not utilising internal conflict resolution mechanisms before resorting to the court.
Prior to this ruling, NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency held a press conference calling for the intervention of the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to settle the dispute.
They cautioned that if the issue is not resolved swiftly, it could potentially harm the party’s prospects in the forthcoming general elections.
Meanwhile, the High Court in March granted pleas by the NPP to settle the dispute out-of-court.
In a previous session on March 15, the party had asked the court to dismiss the case, but the court refused and fined the party GH¢8000.
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
