By Francis Kobena Tandoh
The Tamale High Court has ordered a full rerun or fresh election for the entire Kpandai parliamentary election seat across all polling stations in the constituency.
In a ruling led by Justice Emmanuel Brew Plange, the court nullified the December 7, 2024, parliamentary election for the Kpandai constituency.
The rerun is to be held within 30 days of the judgment (i.e., fairly soon).
The petition was filed by Daniel Nsala Wakpal, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, challenging Matthew Nyindam’s election as Member of Parliament (MP) for the area.
Wakpal alleged serious irregularities: specifically, inconsistencies in the “Form 8A” (pink sheet) from 41 out of the 152 polling stations in the constituency.
These irregularities were argued to breach Regulations 39 and 43 of the Public Elections Regulations (CI 127).
The court agreed that the non-compliance “materially affected” the integrity of the election.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has been directed to organise the rerun as ordered by the court.
Meanwhile, Lawyers for Matthew Nyindam, the New Patriotic Party MP, have filed a notice of appeal and are seeking a stay of execution (i.e., to pause the rerun while the appeal is heard).
The NDC’s legal counsel has welcomed the ruling. They argue it validates their case that the electoral process was compromised.
According to the NDC’s lawyer, part of the problem was that a collation centre was relocated by EC officials without properly notifying all candidates, undermining Wakpal’s ability to scrutinise or contest the results.
The ruling is a major blow to the NPP, since Nyindam was declared the winner previously. The decision underscores how election petition courts can play a critical role in safeguarding electoral integrity.
For constituents in Kpandai, it means going back to the polls soon — effectively a by-election or rerun for their MP. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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