Judiciary doing the work of political bosses — Afenyo-Markin fumes after Kpandai verdict

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has sharply criticised Ghana’s judiciary, accusing it of acting on behalf of political interests following the Tamale High Court’s decision to overturn the 2024 parliamentary election results in the Kpandai Constituency.

The court on Monday upheld a challenge filed by NDC parliamentary candidate Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who alleged that the December 7, 2024 poll was riddled with major irregularities. The judge subsequently ordered that the election be conducted again within 30 days — a ruling that has provoked strong backlash from the Minority in Parliament.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, November 26, Afenyo-Markin condemned the ruling as “disgraceful,” claiming some judges were doing the bidding of “paymasters.”

“The judiciary must recognise that their decisions, when made to satisfy whoever controls them, can endanger our peaceful democracy. We won’t sugarcoat it. They may attempt to drag us in for contempt, but we are ready — even if they send us to Nsawam. The world will witness their appalling behaviour,” he stated.

He further criticised the manner in which the decision was delivered, describing it as unprecedented and legally problematic.

“How can someone who calls himself a judge behave this way in court and expect Ghanaians to remain silent? A directive with such serious political, legal, and democratic implications was issued without a written judgment.

“No detailed reasoning, no established facts, no legal justification — just a bare order thrown out publicly. Now an entire constituency is being told to return to the polls.”

Afenyo-Markin acknowledged that courts sometimes issue rulings with detailed reasons to follow, but argued that such an approach is unacceptable in cases with national consequences.

“I am an experienced lawyer. I know that occasionally rulings are delivered with reasons to be provided later. But that is rare — and certainly not acceptable when the stakes are this high.”

He also alleged that the NDC was aware of the outcome before the judgment was officially delivered, raising further concerns about fairness and transparency in the judicial process.