Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, the disputed New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Walewale, has expressed his dissatisfaction with a recent court ruling that nullified his primary victory and ordered a rerun in the constituency.
Despite the setback, Dr. Kabiru remains firm in his belief that he has done nothing unlawful throughout the electoral process.
In an interview with Citi News, Dr. Kabiru voiced his disappointment with the High Court’s decision on Monday, September 2, which annulled the results of the January primary.
“I am in this contest. I was proposed by the people to participate in this contest. I never engaged in any act that would give me undue advantage. And up to today, they have not been able to prove that,” he stated.
He further emphasized his innocence, saying, “Even one single act that I did to procure undue advantage. Nobody has accused me of having done anything wrong. Except to say the politics of it.”
The January primary saw Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to the Vice President, narrowly defeat the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Hajia Lariba Zuweratu, with 345 votes to her 338. The election was closely monitored, with heavy security presence and the participation of regional and constituency executives.
However, Hajia Lariba disputed the outcome, filing an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court. She accused Dr. Kabiru, the party, and the Electoral Commission of electoral irregularities.
In the primary, two other candidates, Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama, received 145 and 1 vote, respectively. The NPP, acting as the third defendant in the case, initially sought to have it dismissed, arguing that Hajia Lariba had bypassed the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms.
The court, however, refused this request, and instead, in March, fined the party GH¢8000 while granting a plea for an out-of-court settlement.
Before the recent ruling, NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency had called for the intervention of the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to resolve the ongoing dispute. They warned that failure to address the issue swiftly could jeopardize the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections.
Despite the court’s decision, Dr. Kabiru remains adamant that his conduct during the primary was above reproach. His supporters continue to rally behind him, questioning the need for a rerun when no unlawful actions have been proven against him.