Supreme Court Postpones Decision on Kpandai By-Election to January 28

The political fate of the Kpandai constituency remains uncertain after the Supreme Court adjourned its ruling on a key legal challenge to January 28, 2026.

A five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Gabriel Pwamang, fixed the new date after listening to submissions from lawyers representing both parties in the case.

Proceedings attracted significant attention, with senior officials from both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) filling the courtroom. Several Members of Parliament were also present in support of their colleague, Matthew Nyindam, whose parliamentary seat is at the centre of the dispute.

The case involves a certiorari application filed by Mr Nyindam, the NPP Member of Parliament for Kpandai, challenging a ruling by the Tamale High Court in November 2025. That decision nullified his victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections and ordered a fresh election within 30 days.

Counsel for Mr Nyindam, led by Gary Nimako, argued before the Supreme Court that the original election petition filed by the NDC’s Daniel Nsala Wakpal was fundamentally defective.

According to the defence, the petition was lodged 32 days after the publication of the election results in the Gazette, exceeding the 21-day deadline stipulated under the 1992 Constitution. On that basis, they contend that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter or issue orders nullifying the election.

The controversy began when the Tamale High Court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Plange Brew, upheld claims of extensive irregularities at about 41 polling stations. The court ruled that the alleged discrepancies were substantial enough to affect the final outcome of the contest.

In the disputed election, Mr Nyindam was declared winner with 27,647 votes, representing 53.47 per cent, while his closest challenger, Mr Wakpal, polled 24,213 votes, or 46.33 per cent.

Following the High Court’s ruling, the Electoral Commission scheduled a by-election for December 30, 2025. However, the Supreme Court subsequently issued a stay of execution on December 16, 2025, halting all arrangements for the rerun pending determination of the jurisdictional challenge.

Reacting to the adjournment, the Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamakpor, expressed confidence that the NDC would prevail once the matter is finally determined.