Watch moment NPP chairman declared Farouk Mahama as Yendi parliamentary candidate-elect

Alhaji Masawudu Osman, the National Third Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has been captured on video declaring the incumbent MP for Yendi Constituency, Farouk Aliu Mahama, as the winner of the parliamentary primaries.

The declaration followed the disruption of the January 27, 2024, polls in the constituency over stolen ballot allegations.

The chaos erupted during the sorting of ballot papers when an alarm was raised concerning an Electoral Commission (EC) official allegedly pocketing ballot papers belonging to fellow parliamentary candidate aspirant, Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama.

As the situation escalated with ballot papers being tossed and turned, Alhaji Masawudu Osman took the stage and declared Farouk Aliu Mahama as the candidate-elect.

In a viral video capturing the moment, Alhaji Osman, amidst babbling, stated, "... we didn’t find the EC, all the EC have run away, look at the time. We have waited to six now; we didn’t see EC because they have been beaten mercilessly. It is based on this result that we have counted by EC, we have declared Alhaji Farouk of the NPP led by Alhaji Masawudu Osman, National third Vice Chairman, and Alhaji and National Secretariat which is led by Justin Frimpong Kodua and declare Farouk Aliu Mahama as the candidate-elect."

However, the actions of Alhaji Masawudu Osman has been greeted with condemnation from within the NPP, the EC, and other stakeholders.

The Electoral Commission, in a statement, distanced itself from the purported declaration, clarifying that it had not officially declared results for the Yendi Constituency.

The counting process was disrupted when the presiding officer had tallied 296 votes in favor of the incumbent MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama, with 489 ballots remaining to be counted.

The controversy surrounding the premature declaration raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in the Yendi Constituency.



NAY/AE