A High Court in Tamale has ordered a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election, overturning the result of the December 2024 poll and directing that voters in the Northern Region constituency return to the ballot box within 30 days. The ruling, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Brew Plange, nullified the election of the New Patriotic Party’s Matthew Nyindam after the court found that widespread irregularities in the collation process had compromised the integrity of the outcome.
The petition that triggered the ruling was filed by the National Democratic Congress candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who argued that the Electoral Commission failed to comply with key provisions governing how results from polling stations are recorded and collated. Central to his challenge were defects on the pink sheets from 41 polling stations — nearly a third of all centres in the constituency — which he said rendered the final declaration unreliable. In court, he insisted these breaches were not minor errors but violations that struck at the heart of transparent vote counting.
Justice Plange agreed, concluding that the irregularities were substantial enough to invalidate the entire process. He ruled that the constituency must vote again, placing immediate pressure on the Electoral Commission to prepare a fresh poll in a tight timeframe. The decision also throws the political balance in Kpandai into temporary uncertainty, leaving the seat effectively vacant until a new vote is held.
Nyindam, who has served multiple terms in Parliament, has rejected the ruling and filed an appeal along with an application for a stay of execution. He maintains that the petition lacked merit and argues that even if the disputed polling stations were revisited, the outcome would not change. His challenge means the rerun could be delayed if a higher court agrees to suspend the High Court’s order while the appeal is heard.
The ruling has been welcomed by the NDC, which called it a vindication of its concerns over the handling of the election. The party says the judgment underscores the need for stricter oversight of collation centres and firmer enforcement of electoral procedures.
For the Electoral Commission, the decision marks another test of its credibility and logistical capacity. Organising a fresh election under legal deadlines, while responding to an appeal that could upend the timeline, presents both administrative and political complications.
For voters in Kpandai, the judgment means the 2024 contest is far from over. A constituency that believed it had chosen its representative nearly a year ago must prepare to do so again, under closer scrutiny and with national attention now fixed on how the process unfolds.
