The Yendi parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been suspended by five officials, as per the action taken by the Electoral Commission (EC).
This action is in response to claims that votes from the January 27, 2024 election were tampered with. According to Accra-based Citi News, the decision to suspend these officials apart from municipal officers was made in reaction to concerns expressed before the election.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Zakariah, and the current MP, Farouk Aliu Mahama, competed in the primary election, though it is unclear who the suspended officers are.
All went well with the election until there was a disruption during the counting phase that resulted in votes being destroyed and property being vandalized.
Supporters of the MASLOC CEO claimed that an EC officer had tampered with their favored candidate’s ballots by using permanent ink amid the confusion.
Mr. Mahama was proclaimed the election’s victor despite the chaos, a decision from which the EC has disassociated itself.
Concurrently, Hajia Abibata has initiated a petition against Mr. Mahama’s assumption of the office of parliamentary candidate-elect to the NPP’s National Executive Council (NEC).
She has also asked that new elections be held by the party, the Electoral Commission, and security personnel, all of whom should be honest, unbiased, and professional.
