The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a strong rebuttal to the Tamale High Court ruling that nullified the 2024 parliamentary election results in the Kpandai Constituency, insisting that the electoral process was transparent, credible, and fully reflective of the will of the people.
In a detailed statement released in Accra, the Caucus described the decision ordering a rerun as troubling, arguing that the facts presented during the trial did not justify the court’s conclusion.
“The records show a transparent process, a credible declaration, and a result that reflected the will of the people. It is important for the public to have a full understanding of what occurred before, during and after the collation.”
Minority Leader and MP for Effutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin
Justice Brew Plange’s ruling concluded that breaches of the Public Elections Regulations were so widespread that the validity of the entire constituency result could not be sustained.
As a result, the court ordered a re-run, a decision that has rekindled political tension in Kpandai and set the stage for another fiercely contested electoral showdown. The governing NDC has welcomed the ruling and hinted that a by-election victory would further boost its supermajority of 185 seats in Parliament.
However, the Minority’s statement outlined that Hon. Mathew Nyindam won the election with a margin of 3,734 votes. He secured 27,947 votes against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Hon. Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who polled 24,213 votes.
The Minority stressed that this margin made the outcome decisive, leaving little room for any suggestion that clerical errors or administrative disputes could have altered the final result.
However, the Caucus described chaotic scenes that unfolded at the collation centre after the NDC secured the presidential figures. According to the statement, Hon. Wakpal mobilised a group of supporters and arrived at the collation centre in a Mahindra pickup, all clad in NDC campaign T-shirts.
Destruction of Ballot Boxes
The group reportedly damaged some ballot boxes in what the Minority characterised as an attempt to disrupt the collation process. Their suspicion, the statement alleged, was that the Electoral Commission might not have had the pink sheets necessary to complete the declaration.
The disruption, the Caucus indicated, created a potentially dangerous security situation. Given the rising tension, the Electoral Commission relocated the final stages of the collation and declaration to its regional office in Tamale.
“All NDC agents had already signed the pink sheets at every polling station across the constituency, confirming the accuracy of the results”.
Minority Leader and MP for Effutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin
The statement further noted that Hon. Wakpal refused to go to Tamale for the continuation of the collation after realising he had lost the contest. Despite his refusal, the Electoral Commission proceeded with its work and duly declared Hon. Nyindam the winner.
Following the declaration, Hon. Wakpal filed an election petition challenging the results. His challenge focused primarily on two issues: his absence from Tamale during the final collation and clerical errors identified in 41 out of the 152 polling stations.
But the Minority insisted that these issues, as presented in court, were not material enough to overturn the election. The key witness for the NDC, according to the statement, admitted during cross-examination that the total votes in contention amounted to about 500.
The Minority emphasised that even if the court had awarded all 500 votes to Hon. Wakpal, he would still have trailed the declared winner by more than 3,000 votes. This, they argued, made the High Court’s decision to annul the entire election and order a rerun particularly baffling.
Commitment to Constitutional Governance
Despite their concerns, the Minority stressed their commitment to constitutional governance and the rule of law. They confirmed that a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution had already been filed, expressing confidence that the appellate process would address the inconsistencies in the ruling and ultimately restore the mandate delivered by the people of Kpandai.
“The Kpandai parliamentary election was conducted in a transparent manner. The results reflected the choice of the people. The Minority Caucus remains committed to the rule of law and believes that the appellate process will restore confidence in the democratic outcome delivered by the voters of Kpandai”.
Minority Leader and MP for Effutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin
Signed by Minority Leader and MP for Effutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the release signals the Caucus’s resolve to defend what it views as a legitimate electoral outcome, even as it navigates the legal processes required to overturn the High Court’s decision.
With both the NPP and NDC preparing for a potential by-election—pending the outcome of the appeal—the Kpandai Constituency has again become a focal point of national political attention.
For the NDC, a victory would consolidate its grip on Parliament, while the NPP sees the appeal as a necessary step toward safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
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