The High Court in Tamale has annulled the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Walewale parliamentary primary, which had declared Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru as the winner.
The contentious primary, which led to a legal battle, resulted in a court injunction on June 24, barring Dr Kabiru from presenting himself as the NPP’s elected parliamentary candidate in the constituency.
On Monday, September 2, 2024, the court delivered its ruling, invalidating the results and paving the way for fresh nominations.
35-year-old Dr. Kabiru polled 345 votes in the primary in January to narrowly defeat the sitting Member of Parliament Hajia Lariba Zuweratu, who polled 338 votes.
The election, held under strict security and attended by regional and constituency executives, also saw candidates Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama garner 145 and 1 vote, respectively.
Following her narrow defeat, Hajia Lariba contested the results and filed an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court, accusing the party, Dr. Kabiru, and the Electoral Commission of electoral irregularities and misconduct.
The NPP, initially seeking to have the case dismissed, argued that Hajia Lariba had violated the party’s constitution by not exhausting internal conflict resolution mechanisms before taking the matter to court.
In March, the High Court granted the NPP’s request to settle the dispute out of court, although a previous session on March 15 saw the court reject the party’s motion to dismiss the case and impose a fine of GH¢8000.
Before the recent ruling, NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency had held a press conference urging the NPP’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to intervene and resolve the dispute, warning that unresolved tensions could harm the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections.
