Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Walewale, has voiced his disappointment following a court ruling that called for a rerun of the party’s primary in the constituency.
On Monday, September 2, the Tamale High Court annulled the results of the primary and ordered a fresh election.
In an interview with Citi News, Dr. Kabiru expressed his dissatisfaction with the court’s decision.
“I am fully committed to this contest. I was chosen by the people to represent them. At no point did I engage in any behavior that would provide me with an unfair advantage. To this day, no one has presented any evidence to suggest otherwise.
“Not a single action of mine can be proven to have gained an undue advantage. No accusations of wrongdoing have been made against me, aside from political maneuvering.”
Background
Earlier this year, in January, Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to the Vice President, narrowly defeated Hajia Lariba in a hotly contested primary.
The election, held under tight security with the presence of regional and constituency executives, saw Dr. Kabiru winning with 345 votes against the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Hajia Lariba Zuweratu, who garnered 338 votes.
Hajia Lariba quickly contested the election results, filing an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court. She accused the party, Dr. Kabiru, and the Electoral Commission of electoral malpractice and misconduct.
In the same primary, two other candidates, Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama, received 145 and 1 vote, respectively. Initially, the NPP, acting as the third defendant, attempted to have the case dismissed, arguing that Hajia Lariba violated the party’s constitution by bypassing internal conflict resolution processes before taking legal action.
Before the court ruling, NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency held a press conference, urging the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to intervene and resolve the dispute.
They warned that if the issue is not addressed promptly, it could jeopardize the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections.
In March, the High Court granted the NPP’s request to resolve the matter out of court.
During a previous session on March 15, the party had sought to have the case dismissed, but the court rejected the plea and imposed a fine of GH¢8,000 on the NPP.
