The Tamale High Court has restrained Dr. Abdul-Karibu Tia Mahama from presenting himself as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Walewale in the North East Region.
The court’s decision comes after the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hajia Lariba Zuweratu, challenged the results of the party’s primary election held in January this year.
Dr. Kabiru, a special advisor to the Vice President, won the primary with 345 votes, beating Hajia Lariba who polled 338 votes. However, Hajia Lariba alleged electoral irregularities and misconduct and sought an injunction to stop Dr. Kabiru from declaring himself the winner.
The court granted the injunction on Monday, June 24, pending the final determination of the case.
The development comes after the NPP attempted to settle the dispute out-of-court, but the court refused and fined the party GH¢8000 in March.
The ruling has sparked concerns among NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency, who have called on the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to intervene in the matter to prevent potential harm to the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections.
