Three NPP candidates challenges Parliamentary results( D/G, January 12, 2013. Page 14)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Bawku Central in the Upper East Region, Mr. Alhassan Haruna has filed a petition at the Bolgatanga High Court challenging the declaration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Mr Mahama Ayariga as winner of the 2012 parliamentary election in the constituency. The petition was filed on Friday, January 11, 2013 at the Bolgatanga High Court. In an interview with the Daily Graphic via telephone, Mr Alhassan, a former Deputy Managing Director for Metro TV said decision to challenge the parliamentary results in the Bawku Central Constituency was based on what he term ‘fraudulent acts’ and irregularities practiced by the EC officials who were in charge of elections in the constituency that in the long run affected the authenticity of the elections and therefore rendered the outcome null and void. He confirmed that other respondents in the case are the Electoral Commission (EC). Mr Mahama Ayariga, a former Deputy Minister of Education polled 24,071 representing 54.86 per cent to win the seat while Mr Haruna Alhassan polled 19,082 votes, representing 43.49 per cent. The PNC’s Joseph Awini Aguuda garnered 303 representing 0.69 per cent while Iddrisu Mubarak of the PPP and Madam Ibrahim Zaliya of the CPP polled 269 and 151 representing 0.61 per cent and 0.34 per cent respectively. In a separate interview, the Bawku Central NPP Constituency Secretary, Hamza Amadu backed the petitioner stressing that it was his legitimate and constitutional right to seek the courts interpretation on what they deemed were irregularities at the polls. -END- benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh