The Tamale High Court on Wednesday granted pleas by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to settle its Walewale parliamentary primary dispute out of court.
This follows a court session on March 15, during which the party asked the court to dismiss the case, but their request was turned down and fined GH¢8000.
The incumbent MP, Lariba Zuweira Abudu filed the case against her close contender, Dr Abdul-Karibu Tia Mahama after losing the election on January 28, 2024.
Dr Mahama, a presidential staffer won with 343 votes, while Madam Abudu who doubles as the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection secured 334.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, the first-time MP has filed an ex-parte motion in a Tamale High Court challenging the results.
She sought a restraining order against the winner from holding himself as the NPP parliamentary candidate-elect for constituency.
But on Wednesday, the court heeded their plea with the parties expected to return on May 23.
In an interview after the hearing, NPP Director of Elections Evans Nimako said they were grateful to the court.
“We’ve appealed to the court to allow the party to resolve it in-house after which we will come back to report our terms of resolution. The party’s leadership in its entirety is here to ensure that we have peace in Walewale constituency.”
“Internal elections are internal elections and we’ve always done it. We always have a way of resolving our issues after which we submit candidates for elections. We’re looking forward to a bigger picture of winning the 2024 elections,” he told Citi News.
He added, “Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is from the constituency…so we are doing everything possible within the party’s means to ensure that we have a party in Walewale that is going to win the seat and also ensure that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia becomes the next president come January 7, 2025.”
