During the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary primary on Saturday, January 27, 2024, Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira, the Northern regional correspondent for Citi FM/Citi TV, was assaulted by Farouk Aliu Mahama, the Member of Parliament for Yendi in the Northern Region.

There was violence at Yendi Senior High School during the counting procedure.

The violence is said to have started when one of the Election Commission’s employees was seen shredding the opponents’ ballots of Farouk Aliu Mahama.

When Mohammed Alabira was filing a live report, he was caught up in the turmoil and Farouk Aliu Mahama hit him from behind.

According to him, the MP’s boys followed their boss’s lead and attacked him, beating him till his shirt was torn.

”It was the MP [Farouk Aliu Mahama] who slapped me, and his people kicked me and took my phone away. I was reporting on the violence that was happening during the counting process, so I asked the MP why that was happening, and he got up and came and slapped me, and his people also started beating me up.”

According to Alabira’s account, the police present at the scene saved him. In addition, he said, the MP blocked the entrance to the police station and pulled ahead of the police car transporting him to the Yendi Divisional Police Command.

“It was the police that rescued me, and I was there with them in the company of the Divisional Police Commander, and Farouk [Aliu Mahama] came and blocked the entrance. So we were kept in the bus for more than one hour before we called for reinforcement from the Ghana Armed Forces, who came and rescued us because his supporters were threatening to pelt the bus with stones.”

Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira has been attended to by medical personnel. In addition, he formally reported the matter to the command of the Yendi Divisional Police.

Following the violence that hampered the NPP’s primary in Yendi, the police have since arrested one person and are looking for more.

“The individuals are suspected of causing damage to election-related items while sorting votes in the New Patriotic Party’s ongoing internal parliamentary elections. In accordance with our established norms, the Police and Military collaborated to reinstate law, order, and security in the region. During the riots, no one was hurt”

The police continued, “We want to reassure the public that everyone responsible for this regrettable act will be detained and prosecuted in line with the law.”