Minority Calls for Withdrawal of Kpandai Vacancy Notices After Supreme Court Ruling
Minority Caucus urges Parliament and Electoral Commission to correct records following Supreme Court ruling restoring Nyindam’s mandate
- Supreme Court restores Matthew Nyindam’s mandate
- Minority Caucus demands withdrawal of all notices declaring the Kpandai seat vacant
- Caucus warns that no institution can legally alter validly declared election results
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for the immediate withdrawal of all administrative actions and public notices indicating that the Kpandai parliamentary seat is vacant, following a Supreme Court ruling restoring Matthew Nyindam’s mandate.
The call comes after the apex court overturned an earlier decision by the Tamale High Court, which had nullified the 2024 parliamentary election in Kpandai and ordered a rerun.
In a statement welcoming the ruling, the Minority urged that all records within Parliament and the Electoral Commission be corrected to reflect that Mr. Nyindam remains the legally elected Member of Parliament for the constituency.
On Wednesday, January 28, the Supreme Court, in a 4–1 majority decision, quashed the High Court’s judgment, ruling that the election petition had been filed outside the legally prescribed timelines, depriving the lower court of jurisdiction.
The Minority said the decision reinforces constitutional authority, due process, and the principle that election outcomes cannot be overturned outside established legal procedures.
“The effect of this ruling is that there will be no rerun in Kpandai, and Hon. Matthew Nyindam remains, in law and in fact, the duly elected Member of Parliament,” the caucus said.
The Minority further warned that no institution has the power to alter validly declared election results and stressed that any actions based on petitions filed beyond statutory deadlines are legally ineffective.
Beyond withdrawing vacancy notices, the caucus called on Parliament, under Speaker Alban S. K. Bagbin, to review its internal processes to prevent future instances where seats are prematurely declared vacant while court proceedings are ongoing.
They also urged all members of the House to respect parliamentary conventions by awaiting final judicial determinations before taking steps that could affect representation.
To reinforce their position, the Minority cited past instances, including Abodakpi, Sakande, Nyimakan, and Quayson, where Parliament refrained from acting until all legal processes were concluded.
The caucus described the Supreme Court’s ruling as a significant affirmation of democratic choice, restoring the clear mandate given by the people of Kpandai at the polls.
