Ballot Chaos and Confusion: NPP Walewale Primary Declared Null After ballot snatching incident

The re-run of the parliamentary primary for the New Patriotic Party in the Walewale constituency took place on Monday amid heavy confusion. The overriding confusion compelled, in turn, the Electoral Commission to finally declare the election null and void.

It was a fracas in the process of sorting and so a ballot-snatching affair, leading to the destruction of some ballots.

It has thus referred the matter to New Patriotic Party authorities to take a decision on what steps to take next since the primary was just an internal party event to select a nominee for December’s parliamentary election.

Now, the very pertinent task of deciding on a new date for the election is with the party. The same has to be done before the filing of nominations due this weekend.

An earlier venue change in the morning had posed no problem; voting occurred without a bump.

The whole process, however, turned quite chaotic during the all-important sorting phase of the ballots that began its operations at around the hour of 4 p.m.

However, the police said the alleged man, identified as one Kamara Bawah, seized several of the ballot papers and tried to flee.

He is said to have destroyed some of the ballots before police intervened by opening warning shots to bring the situation under control.

Round two was counting at the Police Station, where officials from the parties and the EC were considering whether they would go ahead with the counting.

The Election Commission nullified the election result on the basis of a careful review of the damaged ballots.

The police have acted accordingly, thus arresting Kamara Bawah for causing so much damage to those important ballot papers that form part and parcel of the election exercise. Security, for this matter, has been beefed up and increased in and around Walewale and its environs so that law and order can be well asserted during this turbulent period.

This re-run was held following a court judgment by the Tamale High Court, which had consequently nullified the results of the first primary held in January. The ruling had come with the detection of numerous irregularities characterizing that election, majoring on impersonation and over-voting issues that were serious in nature and degrading to the voting process.

A new election was ordered by the court, which had been scheduled for September 8 but postponed until Monday.

In all, 842 delegates were expected to vote in the re-run to decide who represented the NPP in the upcoming parliamentary election.