The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Lariba Abudu, has withdrawn from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries in the constituency.

This comes after the primary contest between herself and Dr. Kabiru Mahama was annulled by the Electoral Commission (EC) after some ballot papers were snatched, affecting the sorting and counting process.

NPP had convened a National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for September 11, 2024, to address the situation.

The party’s general secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, assured that the meeting would result in a decision to unify the party in the constituency, resolve issues, and ensure that the NPP retains its seat in Walewale.

In a press release, Mrs. Abudu said her decision to pull out is “in the interest of the greater good of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).”

In an interview on Joy FM‘s Newsnight after her announcement, the MP said, “Why should I hold my party ransom because someone has decided to be a candidate.”

During the primaries’ re-run yesterday, a man, identified by police as Kamara Bawah, allegedly grabbed several ballot papers and attempted to flee.

He reportedly destroyed some of the ballots before being apprehended by the police, who fired warning shots to restore order.

The ballot papers were subsequently taken to the police station, where party officials and the EC considered whether to continue counting.

After reviewing the damaged ballots, the EC invalidated the election results.

The police have since detained Kamara Bawah for causing damage to the ballot papers, and security has been reinforced within Walewale and surrounding areas to maintain order.