Bawumia rescues defamation suit against party member

A former Mayor of Tamale and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Tamale Central, Salifu Sule, has officially withdrawn a defamation suit he filed at the Tamale High Court against Alhaji Yahaya Fuseini Agbaa, following the direct intervention of former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Salifu Sule had dragged Fuseini Agbaa to court after the latter, in an audio recording that went viral, accused him of stealing several bags of rice and selling them to a woman who subsequently denied ever purchasing such items.

The former mayor considered the claims baseless and damaging to his reputation, prompting him to seek legal redress to defend his integrity.

However, Salifu Sule revealed that he decided to withdraw the case out of respect for Dr. Bawumia, whom he described as his “godfather” and a mentor whose counsel he could not ignore.

He disclosed that Dr. Bawumia personally appealed to him to drop the suit in the interest of peace and party unity.

“The former Vice President is my godfather. When he spoke to me directly and appealed for calm, I had no choice but to respect his wishes and withdraw the matter,” Sule stated.

He explained that although he initially pursued the case to send a message against reckless and unfounded accusations in the public space, he was equally committed to upholding peace and forgiveness, particularly within the NPP fraternity.

According to sources close to the case, the defamation suit had caused significant anxiety for Fuseini Agbaa, who reportedly struggled to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations.

The case had been pending before the Tamale High Court for several weeks before the decision to withdraw it was formally communicated.

The withdrawal of the case brings to an end a dispute that had generated widespread attention in Tamale’s political circles.

Many observers have since interpreted the development as a positive gesture towards reconciliation and discipline within the NPP, especially ahead of future political activities in the Northern Region.