NPP NEC Appoints 3-Member C’ttee On Yendi As Abibata Threatens ‘Independent’

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Executive Committee has formed a three-member committee to look into and advise on the just-ended Yendi parliamentary elections.

Following the announcement of the 3-member committee by NPP NEC after a meeting, spokespersons and supporters of Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama say she will run independent if the committee recommends “anything but a re-run”.

In a press conference in Yendi, they “threatened” to break away from the party if there is no re-run.

The Member of Parliament for the Yendi Constituency, Hon Farouk Aliu Mahama had reportedly beaten his contender Abibata Mahama but his win was later dismissed as no official declaration was made by the EC before a scuffle broke out on Saturday, January 29, 2024.

The party has since formed a three-member committee to help resolve the issues. For good reason, the party has not made public the names of the 3 member team.

The poll was between the incumbent Yendi MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah.

Hajia Abibata Mahama had alleged that an official of the Electoral Commission (EC) attempted to pocket some of her ballots.

Independent reports suggest Farouk Mahama had won convincingly based on volumes of sorted ballots even before counting started and that it was not in Farouk’s interest to disrupt the process when he was clearly on course to win.

Declaration of Farouk Mahama winner

The 3rd National Vice Chairman of the NPP, Alhaji Osman Masawudu, declared Farouk Mahama winner after “counting”. He said he made the declaration in Yendi after a consultation with the regional and national executives of the party.

According to him, the EC official had counted 296 votes in favor of the incumbent MP before the counting process was interrupted. He revealed that the ballot papers in the possession of EC officials was 199 and that the ballots were valid.

“With the 296 and the 199 total votes for Farouk Aliu Mahama that makes it 495 votes out of the total 785 votes so therefore I stand on behalf of the party as a national officer to declare Farouk Aliu Mahama as the parliamentary candidate for the Yendi constituency”.

Annul the elections and rerun- Abibata

In a petition to the party’s leadership, Hajia Abibata Mahama claimed that some party officers conspired with the incumbent MP to rig the elections, thereby declaring the MP as the winner of the primary.

“There appears to be a grand ploy by some officers of the party to conspire with election officers and the incumbent MP to rig the elections in favour of the incumbent MP against the established democratic tradition of our great party, and the wishes of the delegates and the members of the party in Yendi.”

“The key actors in the ploy included Alhaji Masawudu Osman (3rd National Vice Chairman), Alhaji Salifu Rashid C.O.P., the Northern Regional Organiser, Alhaji YussifToyibu, the Regional Treasurer, Mr. Fusheini Bawah Kpana, the regional Research and Elections Officer, Mr. Mohammed Adam Bantima Samba, the Northern Regional Chairman, some members of the Party Elections Committee, some officers of the Electoral Commission and the Security Service.”

She is requesting the National Executive Committee to declare the 2024 NPP Parliamentary Primaries of the Yendi Constituency “null and void.”

The Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC is also requesting NEC to prohibit Farouk Aliu Mahama from holding himself as the parliamentary candidate-elect of the Yendi constituency.