Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru has been prohibited by the High Court in Tamale from presenting himself as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Walewale constituency in the North East Region. 

This injunction, announced on Monday, 24 June 24024, follows a legal challenge initiated by the incumbent Member of Parliament, Hajia Lariba Zuweratu.

In a closely contested primary held in January, Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to the Vice-President, narrowly defeated Hajia Lariba. 

The election, overseen by regional and constituency executives under stringent security measures, resulted in Dr. Kabiru securing 345 votes against Hajia Lariba’s 338.

Promptly disputing the results, Hajia Lariba filed an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court, accusing the party, Dr. Kabiru, and the Electoral Commission of electoral irregularities and misconduct. 

Her plea included a request to prevent Dr. Kabiru from declaring himself as the victor, a request that has now been granted by Justice Richard Kugyapaw.

During the primary, two other candidates, Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama, garnered 145 and 1 vote respectively. 

Initially, the NPP, listed as the third defendant, moved for the dismissal of the case, arguing that Hajia Lariba had violated party protocols by not exhausting internal conflict resolution mechanisms before resorting to the courts.