NPP Yendi parliamentary aspirant speaks on chaos; accuses EC official of pocketing her ballots

NPP parliamentary candidate aspirant, Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama, has shed light on the tumultuous scenes that unfolded during the parliamentary primaries on Saturday, January 27, in the Yendi constituency.

Accusing the Electoral Commission officials and the incumbent Member of Parliament, Umar Farouk Aliu Mahama, of rigging, she detailed the events in an interview on Eyewitness News.

“On Saturday, I commend the security and EC for the smooth election. The issue started during the sorting. The media was asked to stay away during the counting without knowing what ballot papers they sorted; all we heard was 1. So, the delegates asked for who, and they said for the MP (Farouk Aliu Mahama). In the course of the counting, the EC jumped from 69 to 80, and my attention was drawn that one of the EC officials is hoarding my ballot papers. He was confronted and denied it, only for us to find an ink in his jacket and pocketing my ballot papers.

“The chaos started when the delegates saw one of the EC officials hoarding my ballot papers and destroying some of them. Ballot papers were destroyed, and everyone left the venue, but I went straight to the police station," she said.

She added that in her view, the party does not have a parliamentary candidate despite Alhaji Masawudu Osman, National Third Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) declaring Farouk Aliu Mahama as the parliamentary candidate-elect.

“We don’t have a candidate for Yendi constituency because the ballot papers were destroyed. So, I have written a petition to the party, and I am hoping the NPP Secretary will receive it tomorrow," she concluded.

Meanwhile, the The Electoral Commission has distanced itself from the purported declaration of a winner in the Yendi constituency after the Saturday polls.

The Commission, in a statement, noted that its attention had been drawn to a viral video on social media where an EC official purportedly announced results in favour of the incumbent MP, Aliu Mahama.

“The Electoral Commission wishes to inform the General Public that, it has not declared results for the Yendi Constituency in the just-ended NPP Parliamentary elections. Seven hundred and Eighty-Five (785) voters voted, out of Seven hundred and Ninety-Four (794) registered voters.

“The counting of ballots for the incumbent, Hon. Farouk Aliu Mahama, was disrupted when the Presiding Officer had counted Two hundred and Ninety-Six (296) votes in his favor.

"Unfortunately, the destruction of Four hundred and Eighty-Nine (489) ballots which remained to be counted, made it impossible for the Presiding Officer to complete the collation and declare the results,” the Commission emphasised.

NAY/AE