The Walewale parliamentary primary re-run election has once again faced disruption, ending inconclusively after police seized the ballot boxes.
Voting, which had already been delayed for several hours in the morning, concluded around 5 p.m. However, shortly after, the sorting process was interrupted when police removed the ballot boxes.
Citi News North East Regional correspondent, Mohammed Aminu Alabira, reports that this marks the second time the Walewale elections have been disrupted.
The day was marred by sporadic disturbances, with military personnel reportedly involved in assaulting some individuals at the voting centre.
Concerns were earlier raised by Dr. Kabiru and his team about the venue, citing a lack of official communication on the arrangements.
While many anticipated the sorting and counting to occur openly, it instead took place behind closed doors inside a church room. According to the chairman of the election committee, an unidentified person disrupted the process. This individual has since been arrested.
Dr. Kabiru, one of the aspirants, expressed his disappointment with the handling of the election, questioning the democratic process within the NPP.
His supporter, constituency chairman Mohammed Muniru Janda, added that Kabiru seemed to be leading during the sorting process before the disruption.
Janda also raised concerns about the security of the ballots, casting doubt on the fairness of the rerun. The situation in Walewale remains tense, and with uncertainty surrounding the leadership, the NPP risks losing the constituency or failing to field a candidate, potentially giving the NDC an advantage in securing the seat.
Background
The High Court in Tamale last week nullified the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Walewale parliamentary primary.
Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru was declared the winner of the contentious primary, which ended up in court.
A June 24 injunction was placed on Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, barring him from presenting himself as the elected parliamentary candidate (PC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency.
The ruling on Monday, September 2, 2024, paved the way for fresh nominations.
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 utilizing 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.
SOURCE: citinews
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