Walewale NPP Primary: Court orders opening of ballot box in disputed election

The High Court in Tamale has granted a motion filed by the legal team of Hajia Lariba Abudu, the plaintiff in the ongoing Walewale NPP parliamentary primary dispute, ordering the Electoral Commission to open the ballot box and provide copies of the voter register used during the polls conducted on January 27, 2024. This decision was made on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

The court, presided over by Justice Richard Kogyapwa, had previously dismissed an application by the first defendant, Dr. Kabiru Tia Mahama, who sought to prevent the opening of the ballot box for further investigation.

Hajia Lariba Abudu, in her statements of claim, requested the court to order a recount of the ballots. She also asked that, in the event the ballots were found to be tampered with or could not be produced, the court should mandate a re-run of the election.

In line with this, the court had earlier directed that the ballot box and the voter register used during the election be brought before the court. Copies of the register were to be provided to all parties involved in the case.

This directive faced strong opposition from some NPP supporters believed to be aligned with Dr. Kabiru Tia Mahama. However, following the court’s ruling in favour of the plaintiff, the court registrar presented the ballot box in the courtroom, where it was opened, and copies of the voter register were provided for scrutiny.

Sylvester Isang, counsel for the plaintiff, stated that upon reviewing the register, evidence supporting Hajia Lariba Abudu’s claims was found, including instances of double voting, votes cast by deceased delegates, and participation by absentee delegates, among other irregularities.

The case has been adjourned to August 14, 2024, for case management and a possible trial.

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