Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has issued a stern critique against state institutions, expressing his profound disappointment over the “indecent haste” and apparent willingness to “run roughshod,” over the principles of democracy in the ongoing Kpandai parliamentary dispute.
Dr. Bawumia accused Parliament and the Electoral Commission (EC) of actively undermining democratic tenets by pushing ahead with a rerun before the incumbent MP, Hon. Matthew Nyindam, has exhausted his legal challenge.
“To say the least I’m very disappointed with what is going on in our country. It looks like our institutions of democracy and our tenets of democracy are being undermined”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Former Vice President
The controversy stems from the EC’s announcement of a rerun date following a letter from the Clerk to Parliament declaring the Kpandai seat vacant, an action taken despite Hon. Nyindam’s active appeal at the Court of Appeal and a pending application for judicial review at the Supreme Court.
Dr. Bawumia lamented that the current situation represents a clear degradation of the country’s democratic pillars. He questioned the motivation behind the swift declaration of vacancy and the subsequent scheduling of a by-election.
The former Vice President emphasized that the matter concerning Hon. Matthew Nyindam is currently subject to multiple layers of judicial scrutiny, yet Parliament and the EC are treating the Tamale High Court’s initial ruling as conclusive and immediately executable. He expressed deep surprise at the apparent rush, suggesting there is no constitutional justification for denying the MP his full day in court.
“Matthew Nyindam should be given his day in court. He has filed appeal processes at the high Court. He has filed for a judicial review at the Supreme Court and none of those cases has been adjudicated so why the rush?”
Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
He stated unequivocally that, under these circumstances, the MP “is being railroaded,” a process that goes against established democratic principles of due process and justice.
Precedent of Selective Justice
A significant part of Dr. Bawumia’s criticism centered on the apparent double standard exhibited by the House in the Kpandai case compared to historical precedents.
He recalled past high-profile electoral disputes involving figures like Hon. Dan Abodakpi and Hon. Gyakye Quayson in Assin North, where state institutions, particularly Parliament, exercised restraint and generally allowed the legal processes to be fully exhausted before executing consequential orders.
The former Vice President pointed out that the established tradition of Ghana’s political landscape is to permit the judiciary’s sequence to run its course without state institutions being “subpleaded into acting in ways that undermine democracy.”
“The House has never really rushed in this way when it came to the other cases. What is the difference with the case of Martin Nyindam?” he questioned, suggesting the current approach is selective and politically motivated.
He called for an immediate halt to the current processes, asserting that the actions being taken serve only to undermine the pillars of accountability and procedural fairness that the country has collectively subscribed to protect.
Dr. Bawumia concluded with a strong political warning, stressing that democracy is a precious commodity whose integrity should never be compromised for political expediency. He cautioned against the destructive consequences of using power to suppress legitimate opposition.
“When you start undermining its (democracy) pillars, you break it down and the consequences for the nation are very severe. Simply because you have power, you shouldn’t feel that you can abuse your opponents and the principles of democracy”
Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
His statement serves as a potent reminder to all state actors – particularly Parliament and the EC – that upholding the rule of law and respecting the democratic tenets of due process is non-negotiable, irrespective of the political alignment of the individual MP involved.
He demanded that all involved institutions take a halt and allow Nyindam the same fair process afforded to others in the past.
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