Lariba Zuweira Abudu, the incumbent Member of Parliament(MP) for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) in Walewale in the North East Region has withdrawn from the race as a parliamentary candidate for the 2024 election.
Hajia Zuweira Abudu announced her withdrawal from the NPP primary in a letter dated Tuesday, September 10, 2024, addressed to the general secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong.
“Following the inconclusive rerun of the parliamentary primary in the Walewale constituency yesterday (with the Electoral Commission unable to declare a result as a result of an unfortunate incident), I have decided that in the interest of the greater good of the New Patriotic Party and peace and unity in the Walewale constituency, I will no longer be a candidate for MP in the 2024 elections,” excerpts of the letter reads.
“I am therefore formally withdrawing from the contest.
“I would like to thank the party for the honour done me in representing my constituency over the last four years and can assure the party of my continued support in the 2024 election campaign,” the letter concluded.
Background
Hajia Zuweira Abudu’s withdrawal from the race comes a day after police in Walewale arrested six people who allegedly disrupted the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primaries that were held on Monday 9 September, following a high court ruling that annulled the previous election and ordered a rerun.
So severe was the disruption that the Electoral Commission, which supervised the contest, declared the primary null and void due to damage caused to ballot papers, making it difficult to determine the actual winner.
READ ALSO: Walewale NPP Primaries: Court orders rerun
Prominent among those arrested was Bawa Akamara, a former NPP constituency chairman for Yagaba-Kubori, who is alleged to have disrupted the vote counting.
Also arrested were Bukari Musah (an agent for Dr Tia Kabiru Mahama, one of the two contestants in the primaries), Sumani Fatau, Yakubu Amin and two others identified as Akam and Mohammed.
Bawa Akamara was arrested after allegedly snatching ballot papers in the presence of eyewitnesses during the sorting process, before actual vote counting could begin. The alleged misdemeanour happened inside the Church of Pentecost building in Walewale.
The police, who acted swiftly to make the arrests, also transported the ballot boxes to the police station, where counting eventually resumed after a long delay. However, Dr Tia Mahama, the challenger to the MP, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, refused to participate any further with the counting process once the ballot boxes were carted away to the police station.
