The High Court in Tamale has issued an injunction against Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, preventing him from presenting himself as the elected parliamentary candidate (PC) for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Walewale constituency, North East Region.
Justice Richard Kugyapaw delivered this decision on Monday, June 24, following a challenge to the election results by the current Member of Parliament (MP), Hajia Lariba Zuweratu.
In January, Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to the Vice President, narrowly defeated Hajia Lariba in a tightly contested primary. The election, held under heavy security and attended by regional and constituency executives, saw Dr. Kabiru win with 345 votes against Hajia Lariba’s 338 votes.
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. She requested an injunction to prevent Dr. Kabiru from declaring himself the winner, which the court has now granted.
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, arguing that Hajia Lariba violated the party’s constitution by not using internal conflict resolution mechanisms before going to court.
Before this 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 remains unresolved, it could jeopardize the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections.
In March, the High Court granted the NPP’s request to settle the dispute out of court. However, during a session on March 15, the court refused to dismiss the case and fined the party GH¢8000. The court did agree to the party’s request for an out-of-court settlement.
