Walewale NPP Primary: Tamale High Court grants motion of plaintiff to open ballot box

The High Court in Tamale on Wednesday (August 7, 2024) granted a motion filed by lawyers of Hajia Lariba Abudu, the plaintiff, in the ongoing Walewale NPP parliamentary primary to order the Electoral Commission to open the ballot box and produce copies of the voters register used for the conduct of the polls on January 27, 2024, to all parties involved in the case.

The court presided over by His Lordship, Justice Richard Kogyapwa, had earlier dismissed an application by the first defendant, Dr Kabiru Tia Mahama, praying the court not allow the opening of the ballot box for interrogation.

The plaintiff in one of her statement of claim is asking the court to order for the ballots to be brought to court and recounted and where the ballots have been tampered with or cannot be procured an order for the re-run of the polls.

Consequently, the court a few weeks ago directed for the production of the ballot box and the used Register into Court and for copies thereof of the used Register to be made.

The court directive was however met with fierce resistance by some NPP supporters believed to sympathizers of the first defendant, Dr Kabiru Tia Mahama.

Upon granting the application of the plaintiff’s counsel, the court registrar was therefore asked to bring the ballot box into the courtroom where it was opened and copies of the voters register run for the parties for scrutiny.

The Counsel of the plaintiff, Sylvester Isang, said indeed a scrutiny of the used register confirms the case of the Plaintiff Hajia Lariba to the effect that, there was double voting, there was voting by dead delegates and there was also voting by some absentee delegates among others.

Meanwhile, the case was however adjourned to August 14, 2024, for case management and possible trial.