The Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of the planned parliamentary election rerun in the Kpandai constituency, dealing a major procedural blow to preparations by the Electoral Commission and shifting the contest firmly into the legal arena.
The apex court also directed the legal team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Mathew Nyindam, to serve court processes on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Daniel Wakpal, through substituted service.
The order was issued on Tuesday after the court heard an application filed by Nyindam challenging the decision of the Tamale High Court that annulled the December 7, 2024 parliamentary election in the constituency.
Following brief proceedings, the Supreme Court adjourned the matter to January 13, 2026, for further hearing, effectively putting all electoral activities related to the rerun on hold.
The suspension comes barely weeks after the Electoral Commission (EC) announced that it would conduct a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
That announcement was contained in a press statement dated December 10, 2025, and signed by Mr. Fred Tetteh, Deputy Director of the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Commission.
The EC said it was acting on the basis of a directive from the Tamale High Court, as well as a formal notice from Parliament declaring the Kpandai seat vacant.
The High Court ruling at the centre of the legal dispute was delivered on November 24, 2025, by His Lordship Justice Emmanuel Brew Plange. In that judgment, the court held that significant breaches of the Public Elections Regulations occurred during the December 7, 2024 parliamentary polls in the constituency, leading to the annulment of the results and the order for a fresh election.
Nyindam, who contested the original election on the ticket of the NPP, subsequently filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision.
His application argues that the annulment was improper and that the errors cited did not warrant the drastic step of nullifying the election outcome. It is this challenge that has now resulted in the Supreme Court’s intervention and the suspension of the EC’s planned rerun.
The directive for substituted service on the NDC candidate is also significant, as it ensures that all parties to the dispute are formally brought before the court. By granting this order, the Supreme Court has cleared a procedural hurdle that allows the substantive issues raised in the application to be fully argued when the case resumes in January.
Fresh Uncertainty
The court’s decision introduces fresh uncertainty into what had already become one of the most closely watched parliamentary contests in the country. Kpandai has been at the centre of intense political attention following the annulment of the election, with both major parties mobilising supporters ahead of the scheduled rerun.
That political tension was further heightened by the release of the first opinion poll ahead of the rerun. The survey, conducted by research firm Global InfoAnalytics, suggested a fiercely competitive race between the two main contenders.
According to the poll, Nyindam held a slim lead with 50 per cent support, while Wakpal polled 46 per cent. One per cent of respondents indicated support for another candidate, while three per cent said they were undecided.
With a stated margin of error of 3.9 per cent, analysts noted that the four-point gap between the NPP and NDC candidates placed the race firmly within a statistical tie. The findings reinforced the perception that the rerun, if held, would be decided by a narrow margin, with undecided voters and turnout levels likely to play a decisive role.
However, the Supreme Court’s order has now placed those political calculations on hold. Until the court determines the merits of Nyindam’s application, the EC is barred from proceeding with the December 30 rerun, raising questions about timelines and electoral certainty in the constituency.
The suspension also underscores the central role of the judiciary in resolving electoral disputes in Ghana’s democratic system. While the EC had moved swiftly to comply with the High Court’s directive, the Supreme Court’s intervention highlights the layered nature of legal redress available to aggrieved candidates.
For residents of Kpandai, the delay means continued uncertainty over parliamentary representation. For the political parties, it represents a pause in campaigning and mobilisation, as attention shifts from rallies and voter outreach to legal arguments and courtroom strategy.
As the January 13, 2026 hearing approaches, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court to determine whether the High Court’s annulment will stand or be set aside. The outcome will not only shape the political future of Kpandai but also contribute to broader jurisprudence on electoral disputes and the standards required to overturn election results.
Until then, the constituency remains in limbo, caught between competing legal interpretations and high-stakes political contestation, with the Supreme Court now firmly in control of the next chapter of the Kpandai parliamentary saga.
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