Top Story: WaleWale Showdown | NPP's Last-Minute Dash to Fill Parliamentary Seat #TopStory

[Music] tonight desperate times with the governing MPP running out of time to elect and fail the Parliamentary candidate for its flag bearers home constituency of WW with less than 72 hours for the EC to close nominations that tomorrow a decision will be made by the national executive committee of our party and which has to be made because Friday is a deadline for the closure of nomination plus the dramatic shift in the party's position on its members who are running as independent candidates with increasing number of sitting MPP MPS going independent all those who have gone um as independent the party will continue to engage them to the L where you realize that maybe there's nothing more that we can do but we still have hope that all is not lost and I continue to engage our members who have H independent thank you [Music] and tough stories always brought to you by Tel connecting energies hoing sector side spray and coral enjoy a holy sleep the Governor New Patriotic Party is running out of time today to elect a and failed a parliamentary candidate for its flag bearers home constituency of WW with less than 72 hours for the E to close nominations the hometown of the flag barer Dr mmud bomia is caught up in a standoff between his relative and MP Haj larba and his advisor Dr muhamat kabiru a high court NFI the June 24 primary and a chaotic rerun saw a Ballot Box snatched last night leading to the EC avoiding the election Al together that has been truncated now and that election uh is uh one that has been postponed in definitely the party scrambling to find a solution to this the general secretary Justin fron Kia has been addressing a news conference he says a party is waiting for a Thor report before a decision is taken executive committee is the body that is clothed with the power to deal with issues concerning parliamentary matters and we've done it before so certainly I can assure you that tomorrow a decision will be made by the national executive committee of our party and which has to be made because Friday is a deadline for the closer of nomination so certainly a decision will be made and a decision will based on one that addresses the issues that happen at Wali one that will seek to reconcile the party at w and that that will also seek to bring Unity at w and make sure that the party retain her seat at w so so so definitely all these are allegations that will come before the national executive committee like I indicated to you we wait for the report from the various stakeholders who were there and based on that report and evidences uh evidence that will be adduced certainly uh the national executive committee will take the decision [Music] [Music] I'll take it to the ground pretty shortly uh by joining me in the studio is winging I'm with the political desk and winging this is a very interesting situation where the MPP is facing the real likelihood that by close of day Friday they may not have a candidate who has filed his nomination with electric commission for a constituency we know is a home constituency of the party's flag bearer and the vice president yeah and Evans look talking about the WW constituency in 2008 when Dr Mamud B was running with for Dana the NPP failed to win that constituency but then in 2012 the NPP with Dr Bia running mate n kufu managed to win the Wali constituency and since then the NPP has been winning that constituency even when it comes to the Parliamentary election now in 2004 2008 the NDC won it with Idris Zakaria alidu but then in 2012 in the you know build up to the primaries of the ndcf and something happened and that's something the NP may have to learn from now at the time the deputy Northern Regional Minister contested IDU Zakaria alidu and one other person and this is what happened U Zakaria alidu lost that but the deputy Northern Regional Minister did not win it guess who won it a gentleman at the time known as King James now King James then on the ticket of the NDC lost to the NPP and that's how come the NPP managed to win that seat in 2012 both parliamentary and presidential and have since won it the difficulty now is that the NPP as we've learned subsequently from its own research realized that the incumbent Member of Parliament had become unpopular and this is what led to the springing up of tiak kabiru mahama and he eventually won in January this year but then there was a dispute and the court analed it and then again if they have if they had this election and it's a challenge this is the significance of that seat you cannot be a flag bearer even if you win the presidential it is expected that you win the Parliamentary yeah if you delivered both presidential and parliamentary when you were running mate it is expected that now that you are flag bearer you deliver with huge margin not just deliver the seat but deliver with huge margin especially for Bia in this case where the two individuals involved here are both very close to him one is a relative the other is an advisor to him and and that's what is for the vice president because you know we've had um commentary we've had certain sounds of the vice president say he doesn't support anybody he's not in support of this person because you know in politics you would want to take advantage and so uh coming from the vice president office there are those who have I mean campaign on the fact that this is one that has the blessings and support of the vice president he says I do not support anybody yes he works in my office but I am not the one sponsoring him but you know this is it whatever happens the NPP with do balir as flag bearer cannot afford to lose that seat and Evans this is the issue really look the ndc's candidate abdella contested in 2016 and in 2020 and he I mean the margin of Victory between Aku and John mahama was is actually uh more than the marging of Victory between larba abuu and Abdullah in 2020 so this is a man who contested in 2016 2020 the ndc's candidate and he's contesting again and in 2016 while AK beat John Mah in excess of about 4,000 the npp's candidate beat him just about 2,000 so if you are the NPP you're worried because if you do not take time you could lose the seat to the NDC in a year like this when we everything else seemed to be uh against the party you don't want to lose ground in a place like ww that you flipped on the back of a strong showing by the candidate himself who then was Irani mate now he is on the ticket this is not the time to leave a place unstable and this is why the part is taking a very serious view of this but they are running out of time they just have less than 72 hours to go to have somebody either elected or the party makes a decision to go with one of them whichever way this goes somebody's going to be very very unhappy at a time when we're going to be talking about the independence shortly where many sitting MPS are going independent the fear of the party really EV is that um larba is one you cannot talk to t kabiru m is one you can talk to and so you know the party is um and I mean if you if you to speak to T Kabir Muhammad today I'm not sure he'll tell you this but I mean there's been a lot of overest to him to you know understand and all of that but the the question is who do the people the electorates want is it laraba or is it tabir Mama the npp's own research shows the people don't like laraba and they have to make a decision and they have to make a decision very very quickly and they waiting for a report from the ground theyve sent a team there is led by masu Osman is the national thired Vice chairman joins us right now on the phone thank you sir for your time here on top story yeah good evening great to have you uh we just listened to the party's General Secretary say you're waiting uh for a report from you and your team before they take a decision have you sent that report yet yeah I'm about to send the report what the general secretary say is true I'm piling my report inshallah tomorrow by 10:00 my report will be ready for the neck then the neck will take decision upon the election of Wally W are you going to have a third round of voting no the you know the the neck is the second highest decision making of the body of the party so all of us are waiting patiently tomorrow so that whatever outcome the neck who bring all of us will go by the next decision based on your own understanding of what happened on the ground what what is the best outcome for the party there what will serve the best interest of your party in W uh the best interest of the party if as you know uh we don't afford the MPP is not aford we don't afford to lose the the seat of the of w w to far the vice president and the presidential candidate of the party is coming from there from there so uh I think what we can do all what we can do so that uh peace will prevail there so that it will this problem will resolve so if if what the next set will resolve the problem then we are we are waiting for the next decision tomorrow the outcome of yesterday's confusion many will look at that and say the only way out for a Democratic party like yours is to hold another election is that what we're going to see no you see yes we can uh the decision the the the neck can bring a decision of holding another rerun of the election and the next two has power to to even select the party had power by the next to select a candidate without even going for for for for for for ele so that is what I'm telling you we are expecting the next to do the needful so that the MPP could take the of w we don't aford to lose the seat of w as a national CH and the chairman for the election I was there when the instance started so that is why that is what I that is why I told you that I preparing my report so that I will give my report exactly what happened there myself and my team I'll give the report to the neck tomorrow so that the neck would would decide and then will decide what any outcome from the neck the party will go by it you have up until close of day Friday uh to present a candidate an aspiring parliamentary candidate for that particular constituency because the EC's fing nominations will close 5:00 p.m. on Friday you do not have enough time do you even if you want to hold an election it is not realistic to expect that you hold an election one this is it is one matter that we are going to discuss it thoroughly at the at the next tomorrow because as you said we don't have much time and I could understand that uh the general secretary have written to the Electoral commission about the particular election of w we were wining we were thinking by yesterday voting and the result will declare so that today the the declared candidate or the winning candidate may go and file but unfortunately that doesn't happen so I'm I'm I'm having sure that the general secretary will still communicate to the Electoral commission so that we make quickly and and catch up with the time for of of electoral commission so that it will not compromise our our vicory or it will not compromise uh this thing our candidat in the wency the most realistic outcome here is the selection of a candidate not an election you agree yeah as as I told you the party the the party our constitution is clearly play out there out that we can select a a a a a candidate we can select a candidate by selection we can a candidate so that we go for election without even election in compiling your report have you spoken to the two candidates involved come again in compiling your report have you spoken to the two candidates involved I've spoken to the two candidate even before I spoke to you I spoke to kabiru I spoke to kabiru I spoke to I was asking them whether there there was a concern between there was a concern about the election all of them have given me their concent and I have added some of their concern to my report hoping that God willing tomorrow I will send it to the to the neck then we spell it out so we dmize it at the neck then what whatever result whatever outcome then we go by it yesterday when we spoke to you you were trying to get T kabiru and you were struggling you you had called him many times he had not answered you're saying to me tonight that you have managed finally to talk to him yeah I was immediately the the the the the fight order RI occur at the voting Center when the police when the peace officers or the police officers took control of the ballot paper I was trying he was not there he was not there there was chaos everywhere so I was trying to call him and to inform him this is what happening at the voting Center so that you be aware that the voting H at the end of the Sorting vote at the end of the shorting it has it has end up with Riot it end up with with confusion and one guy Kamar who came and it just all over confusion but this is the information that I was going to give it to him that the ballot got so being good it have been scared it it is in the hand or in the custody of police they send it to the police station this was what I was going to tell kabiru when I was calling him by that time I think he was also busy he was also busy because his supporters were were out there agitating shouting and making noise throwing stones the same thing as latu their their supporters are there shouting everybody was busy that was the reason why I couldn't get him but later on before we brought the ballot papers to the police station the W dist police station I got him up I spoke to him uh he listen and even one of his uh agent came in the police station when we when we were all present at the police station do I get you say that as far as The Ballot Box and the ballot papers are concerned they're destroyed Beyond recovery and that's why a decision has to be made either to run or to select some no to me to me I did I did not I did not say it has it has destroyed beyond beyond maybe recognition of something it is from the e to me all the Violet papers I think those Violet paper that has been spoiled canot compromise I think I was requesting for the count I was requesting the E to count the the the number of vote that we have sorted because if you look at the papers both papers that we shorted it was plenty because I think both of them could cross 400 4 400 400 the total number of vote was 840 40 40 uh 42 was 8 uh 26 so clearly both of them if you look at the the the weight of the ballot both of them they can cross 400 or 300 so I was willing I was trying my possible best to let the E to count those bot paper that was intact so we should count them and and before we look at those ballot that has fall if you look at the ballot papers that fall it is not up to 50 or up to it is not even up to 20 so you so you still believe that those ballots can be counted me in to me as a as a as a chairman of the committee I believe that if we want Justice if you want to know how much one get how much Mr a got and Mr B got I still stand by counting the valid the valid ballot papers that has been that has been sorted it's still at the hand at the custody of the police is that your recommendation to the party tomorrow in your report yeah it is part of my recommendation my recommendation in my report because EV I'm telling you this categorically I'm telling you this these bot papers those papers that we sorted they are plenty if we count it it can even justify the winner of this election because those papers that has spoiled they are not up to if you ask the E the ET clearly know that I was there the isue was there if you ask the is the issue would know that that those those ballot that's SP it is not up to 20 it is not up to 20 when we count this this when we count this ballot this ballot that have sorted for kabo and Haj I'm telling you Ian it can justify the winner of this election because I'm I'm I'm having the hope that one of the candidate may even got more than may even win more than 100 votes so if it if the person if if one person wanton more than 100 vot and if it is even if it is 20 ballot paper that has spoiled it can even add that if you add the 20 to the other person he can win and we know the total number of Voters in the register we know the total number of Voters in the register so we compare the total number of people who voted and the total number of people who cast the vote and we calculate we calculate and deduct that uh those papers who spoiled we can we can clearly we can clearly identify the winner of this election uh thank you very much that day is masu Osman the national third vice chairman of the MPP and his report will be submitted to the party uh for the party to take a decision but he's giving us an indication what will be in that report he believes uh those ballot papers must be counted because uh it will still even with those that had been destroyed you still have enough for an outright winner to emerge we'll see what the party decides at the end of tomorrow but they really do not have time less than 72 hours to close this and present a candidate before the elector commission who will have to now go around gather signatures fill the nomination papers and file them before the close of day on Friday if that doesn't happen there a likelihood that the MPP will go into the polls this year without a parliamentary candidate in WW and that is going to be one big head off for the party because this is a constituency as you said that we know is a home constituency of the party's flag bearer and the vice president Dr mmud [Music] [Music] bomia let's stay with the Governor New Patriotic Party shall we because there has been the dramatic shift in the party's position on how he deals with his members who decide to run as independent parliamentary candidates MPP Constitution stipulates that it members who run as independent candidates in any election that the party has candidates in will be deemed to have fitted their membership of the party in 2020 you will recall the MPP expelled this MP for fora Andrew Mar is for deciding to run as an independent MP leading to his seat being declared vacant in Parliament but with two sitting MPS deciding to go independent and one MP for aona West Cynthia Morris in filing her candidature this week the party is taking a s position perhaps because of it slain majority in the house listening to the General Secretary of the party Justin Kia fromon addressing news conference today filing to contest as independent as a party led by national chairman Mr inam when we took over as National officers we made it a point that we ensure that there is Free Fair election in our parliamentary Prime and the media can attest to it that we organize one of the best parliamentary primes the party has ever had and the results were very clear that the people decided on who they want to come Our Kind the various respective constituencies so so anyone who goes to election definitely always have that idea that it's either the person will win or the person will also lose so as a party and the two respect that everyone who went to election including me will support the one who but in case of all those who have gone as independent the party will continue to engage them to the L where realize that maybe there's nothing more that we can do but we still that all is not lost and Contin to engage our members who are thank you and that day a General Secretary of the MPP I want to bring in an organizer of the party Henry joins me right now Henry thanks your time here on a top story your party's Constitution is very clear the general secretary saying that you'll be engaging them but the part's Constitution says quote a member of the party who stands as an independent candidate to gain the officially elected member of the party uh automatically forit his or her membership of the party so why you not enforcing this strictly this time um we still believe that um we can still take some deeper and more detailed consultation in getting these honorable members back so um the elections will be on the 7th of December we still have some months although we don't have time and uh we we have also been informed that some of them have already filed so it's a very difficult moment I mean when you are dealing with such situations but we need to also be careful um so we have taken this approach we are still engaging them we still have some time little time to be specific and we believe we have the faith politically that these members of parliament will their decision to run as independent candate how many of the members how many of the members have so far filed or have taken forms with intention to Independent but the indication we have will be that ofon Morrison and then um those are the strong indications we have for now and we are engaging them and I think that approach should be encouraged maybe there are some challenges there are some issues I think that's a party and then once there also MPP members I'm sure that if we engage them me in 2020 you fully enforced the Constitution provision when it came to the forer MP what what has changed in 2024 this it is the structure and the procedure of enforcing that clause in the Constitution or that provision in the Constitution we are not saying that we are not enforcing it no that is not what we are saying what we are seeing that we have we are rather adopting a different approach than is that provision is there as I said we still have some time before the December 7th pools we believe that we can engage them between now and that time and they can decide not to contest although they are F they can decide to pull out so we believe that anything can happen so it is the approach that is Def friend now uh grateful that is the national organizer of the party herach speaking to us about the different approach that part's taking this time around in the face of that a very strict constitutional provision uh we will be re-engaging with him on another issue very shortly on news tonight you want to stay with us as the NDC is tonight mobilizing it supporters across the country to march on EC offices across the country as a demand and a nationwide foreign siic audit into the party's electoral register you want to stay with us for for that plus we bring you the very latest on the galam war we're hearing tonight uh from the PE Farmers Association who say their members have been affected their farm lands have been taken over by illegal Miners and we're now facing a real possibility of food insecurity shortages across the country as their irrigation uh bodies have now all been taken over by illegal mining we also hearing tonight from the Christian Council they'll be joining the media Coalition against illegal mining tomorrow for a press conference that will declare a road map to a Nationwide protest we're also hearing from organized labor a lot happening you want to stay with us here on Joy 99.7 FM