Chaotic Walewale NPP Primary: What we know so far

The re-run of the New Patriotic Party’s Walewale primaries was marred by violence and chaos, including a reported incident of an individual snatching a ballot box during the vote sorting.

The re-run follows a court order by the Tamale High Court, after an injunction was placed on Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru prohibiting him from holding himself as the elected parliamentary candidate of the NPP for Walewale in the North East Region.

The election results were challenged in court by the incumbent Member of Parliament, Hajia Lariba Zuweratu after she was narrowly defeated in a tightly contested primary by Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to Vice President Dr. Bawumia.

GhanaWeb examines the facts of everything that transpired in the chaotic election

Ballot box snatching

Reports indicate that one Kamara Bawa, the former NPP Yagaba-Kubori Chairman, snatched a ballot box during the sorting of the ballots.

The incident led to chaos between the two camps of Tia Kabiru and Hajia Lariba Zuweratu at the voting center, forcing the electoral officers to halt the process.

Police fire shots

In the wake of the chaos, the police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and secure the snatched ballot box. Videos circulating online show angry voters throwing stones and objects at the police vehicle as it moved away with the ballot box.

Former NPP chairman arrested

A former Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Yagaba-Kubori Constituency, Kamara Bawa, has since been arrested by the police for the destruction of some ballot papers during the re-run of the Walewale Parliamentary Primaries.

The former NPP Executive was whisked away by armed policemen after he started tearing some of the sorted ballot papers after voting had ended.

Angry youth at the scene nearly pounced on him, but for the timely intervention of the police who whisked him out of the scene and took the ballot boxes into custody amidst shouts from delegates who had gathered to witness the outcome.

He is currently in police custody and is assisting with ongoing investigations.

Election declared null and void

The Electoral Commission has declared the Walewale Constituency parliamentary primary by the NPP as null and void.

According to the Walewale EC Regional Director, most of the ballot papers have been damaged and are no longer identifiable for candidate A or B.

NPP condemns incident

Chairman of the election committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), for the Walewale Constituency parliamentary primary re-run, Alhaji Masawudu Osman expressed disappointment at the turn of events after the Electoral Commission annulled the election.

“I am very disappointed…this is a matter that has been annulled by the EC for not being completed. I cannot say much here, we will take everything back to the national party so that the National Council of the party will decide on the Walewale matter,” he said as quoted by 3news.com.

Calm restored

The Ghana Police Service say it has restored calm in Walewale following the chaotic NPP parliamentary primary re-run between Tia Kabiru and Hajia Lariba Zuweratu.

However, security measures have been heightened in the constituency.

MAG/MA