MP for Walewale withdraws from primaries for the greater good of the NPP

The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Hajia Zuweira Abudu, has announced her withdrawal from the constituency’s primaries to elect a parliamentary candidate for the 2024 elections.

The Walewale Constituency remains inconclusive after two rounds of voting in January and September 9, 2024, respectively.

After the first election held in January, Dr. Kabiru Tia Mahama was adjudged the winner with 7 votes more than Hajia Lariba.

However, the incumbent MP challenged the results in court, alleging widespread irregularities, including fraud, impersonation, and wrongful declaration.

The high court agreed the election was fraught with irregularities and, therefore, annulled the results.

On September 9, 2024, the election was re-run between Hajia Lariba and Dr. Kabiru, but the sorting and counting of the ballots were disrupted following attacks on the process, leading to the Electoral Commission annulling the election again.

The incumbent MP, Hajia Lariba, has now decided to withdraw from the race to preserve the peace of the party, especially in the constituency.

“Following the inconclusive re-run of the parliamentary primary in the Walewale constituency yesterday (with the Electoral Commission unable to declare a result due to 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.

“I am therefore formally withdrawing from the contest,” she said in a letter addressed to the General Secretary of the NPP.

“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,” she added.

Following the impasse, the National Executive Committee of the NPP on September 10, 2024, scheduled an emergency NEC meeting tomorrow September 11, 2024 to decide the way forward.

The NPP is running against time to have a parliamentary candidate for the Walewale Constituency ahead of September 13, 2024, deadline for the filing of nominations with the Electoral Commission.