The incumbent Member of Parliament for Kpandai, Matthew Nyindam, has filed a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution against the decision of the Tamale High Court ordering a rerun of the parliamentary election in the constituency.
The High Court on Friday directed the Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election within 30 days, citing procedural irregularities at the collation centre that it said undermined the integrity of the results. The ruling favoured the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who challenged the conduct of the poll and claimed his right to participate in the process had been adversely affected.
NPP Raises Questions Over Judgment Delivery
Reacting to the decision, the Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, told Channel One TV on Monday, November 24, that the party found the circumstances surrounding the judgment troubling.
“Before the proceedings began, I was there along with the other lawyers. Immediately the computer was opened, the judgment was already there. I was surprised because we had not even argued the case in court,” Mr. Mohammed alleged.
He further claimed that NDC supporters were already celebrating even before the judgment was delivered, fueling concerns about fairness. “What we saw outside was all the bigwigs of the NDC jubilating before the judgment came out,” he added.
Dispute Involved Only 41 Polling Stations
Mr. Mohammed questioned the decision to order a constituency-wide rerun, arguing that the challenge related to only 41 out of 152 polling stations.
“All the pink sheets had been signed by all party agents, and there were no issues with the remaining polling stations aside from the 41. If anything, the rerun should only cover those polling stations,” he insisted.
Appeal Filed Moments After Ruling
He confirmed that Mr. Nyindam’s legal team filed both the notice of appeal and the stay of execution at 10:04 a.m., shortly after the court’s directive. The appeal seeks to overturn the ruling and suspend the planned rerun pending a determination by a higher court.
Next Steps
The appeals process is expected to trigger further legal scrutiny of the High Court decision, potentially delaying the anticipated rerun and keeping the Kpandai contest at the centre of political tension. Both the NPP and NDC are closely monitoring the next legal developments as the case continues to attract significant public and electoral interest.
