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Dr Kabiru Tia Mahama, the first defendant in the Walewale NPP parliamentary primaries election dispute, has said his team will demand strict proof of her allegations by Haija Lariba Zuwera Abudu, the plaintiff in Court.
According to him, he would challenge the plaintiff to provide evidence for every allegation of wrongdoing levelled against him in the NPP parliamentary primaries as he mounts a defence.
The first defendant in his witness statement and rejoinder filed at the Tamale High Court on August 16, 2024, staunchly refuted claims made by the plaintiff that the electoral process was not orderly, free, and fair.
He emphasized that the results reflected the true outcome of the votes cast, supervised by the 2nd defendant (NPP) and the 3rd defendant’s representative (Ayamba Richard Apala).
He pointed out that the plaintiff’s claims of illegalities and infractions suggested that she directly benefitted from the alleged incidents of the 17 dead delegates, absentee voters, and duplicate voters.
He emphasized that it was her responsibility to contest these issues during the voting process, yet she failed to do so.
Furthermore, he adamantly dismissed the allegation of overvoting, asserting that the polling station strictly adhered to the “No accreditation, No Vote” rule, mandating all voters to be accredited by the 2nd defendant at the party level and documented in a photo album shared electronically through WhatsApp.
“In light of the fact, where the identity of any delegate was in doubt, it was the plaintiff’s agent who held a copy of the original voter’s register, which was resorted to in resolving the same,” the 1st defendant stated in his defence claims.
The first defendant’s statement of claim unequivocally revealed that the alleged double voter challenge at the centre was not supported by the records, but rather it was an error that was promptly acknowledged and rectified on the day of the poll with the participation of all parties.
The statement strongly asserted that entertaining the plaintiff’s allegations about the use of the album could potentially lead to a challenge to the presidential election by the current flag bearer of the NPP’s vote from the constituency.
When GhOne News approached the first defendant for a response to the statement of claim in his defence, he categorically declined to provide a comment, stating that the matter would be addressed or proven in court by the plaintiff
“The transparent and participatory circumstances of the poll ought to be upheld to trump the allegations as in a typical election dispute, even presidential election disputes.”
The defendant confidently accused the plaintiff of complicity in wrongdoing during the election process.
They unequivocally stated that the plaintiff originally claimed there were 17 deceased voters, but later revised the number to six.
Additionally, the defendant firmly asserted that instances of double and absentee voting were restricted to two people each.
“If the malpractices complained about by the plaintiff ever took place, if at all, she knew of same at all material times because she actively secretly initiated and promoted same, and having lost the election despite being the beneficiary of same, is now seeking to rely on such for the cancellation of the results to have a second bite at the cherry,” he stated.
The first defendant unequivocally asserts that the plaintiff’s allegations are baseless.
The defendant maintains that the plaintiff’s claims are aimed at obstructing the first defendant’s campaign in the Walewale constituency.
Additionally, the defendant’s counsel, Sanson Lardy Anyenini (ESQ), confidently urges the court not to impose any costs on their client, as the plaintiff is not entitled to the relief sought.
The evidence presented unequivocally validates the first defendant’s claims of a free and fair electoral process within the Walewale constituency by the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the NPP Parliamentary Primaries.”
“Wherefore 1st Defendant contends plaintiff is not entitled to all the reliefs as endorsed on her writ of summons and statement of claim,” the defence stated.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Noah Nash Hoenyefia
