The Tamale High Court in the Northern Region, presided by Justice Richard Kogyapwah, has mandated a re-run of the Walewale New Patriotic Party parliamentary primary.
The ruling, issued on Monday, September 2, 2024, will be followed by a full judgment reading on September 12, 2024.
This decision arrives just a week before parliamentary and presidential aspirants are set to file their nominations for the December 7 election, in accordance with the Electoral Commission’s schedule.
In June 2024, the Tamale High Court issued an injunction against Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, restraining him from presenting himself as the elected parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party for the Walewale constituency in the North East Region.
Justice Richard Kugyapaw’s ruling came in response to a challenge by incumbent Member of Parliament Hajia Lariba Zuweratu.
In January of this year, Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and Vice Presidential Special Advisor, narrowly defeated Hajia Lariba in a closely contested primary.
The election, held under heavy security with regional and constituency executives present, saw Dr. Kabiru win with 345 votes to Hajia Lariba’s 338.
Hajia Lariba promptly rejected the results and filed an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court, alleging electoral irregularities and malpractice by the party, Dr. Kabiru, and the Electoral Commission.
She requested an injunction to bar Dr. Kabiru from presenting himself as the winner, and the court granted her request.
In the primary, two other candidates, Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama, received 145 votes and 1 vote, respectively.
Initially, as the third defendant, the NPP sought to dismiss the case, arguing that Hajia Lariba had violated the party’s constitution by not exhausting internal conflict resolution mechanisms before turning to the court.
Prior to the injunction, NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency held a news conference, urging the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to intervene in the dispute.
They warned that failure to resolve the issue promptly could threaten the party’s prospects in the upcoming general elections.