The New Patriotic Party (NPP) incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Lariba Zuwera Abudu, has taken legal action against her contender, Dr. Abdul-Karibu Tia Mahama, after experiencing supposed defeat in the party’s parliamentary primary.
The contentious primary came to a close on January 27, 2024, with Dr. Mahama, a Technical Advisor to the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia being declared the victor.
Dr. Mahama, a presidential staffer, secured the primary win with a total of 343 votes. Meanwhile, Lariba Zuwera Abudu, who also serves as the Gender, Children, and Social Protection Minister, fell short with 334 votes.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome, Lariba Zuwera Abudu approached the Tamale High Court on January 29, 2024, and filed a motion ex-parte, challenging the results of the primary election.
The motion aims to stop Dr. Tia Mahama from assuming the position of the NPP’s parliamentary candidate-elect for the Walewale constituency.
The defeated MP is calling for recount of the votes especially with the 13 rejected ballots.
The court has therefore ordered that the defendants, including Dr. Tia Mahama and his associates, be restrained from proclaiming him as the NPP candidate-elect for the Walewale constituency in the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections. Additionally, the court ordered that Dr. Mahama’s name should not be submitted to the NPP National office as the candidate-elect for the Walewale constituency primary held on January 27, 2024.
“It is hereby ordered that the defendants are restrained herein, whether by themselves, their agents, assigns, workmen and allies, from holding out the 1st defendants as the New Patriotic Party’s candidate elect for the Walewale constituency for the 2024 parliamentary elections and or from submitting the name of the 1st defendants to the NPP, National office as the candidate elect in the 27th January 2024 New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries for the Walewale constituency.”
The NPP primary in Walewale also featured two other candidates, Tahir Sham-An and Jangdow Mahama. Tahir Sham-An received 145 votes, while Jangdow Mahama secured only one vote.
By Vincent Kubi