Counsel for the 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kpandai parliamentary candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, has welcomed the Tamale High Court’s ruling ordering a fresh parliamentary election, describing it as clear-cut and grounded in undeniable procedural breaches.
The lawyer said the decision validated the NDC’s position that electoral processes in the constituency had been compromised by the actions of a key Electoral Commission official.
“For us, our case before the court was very simple. We had a rogue Electoral Commission district officer who abused their discretion,” he stated.
He noted that the irregularities, including the destruction of a biometric verification device, made a rerun the only acceptable remedy.
“The only alternative was to rerun the election, and we are very pleased that the court has ordered it to take place within 30 days. The power and sovereignty lie with the people,” he added.
The lawyer further argued that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate could not legitimately claim the parliamentary seat under such circumstances. He explained that parliamentary candidates have the legal right to be present at the collation centre, request recounts, and challenge irregularities—rights that were violated when the collation centre was relocated without notifying the petitioner.
“You don’t relocate the district or redesignate the collation centre without informing the participating candidates. The failure to notify the petitioner meant he could not participate in the collation or exercise his rights,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that the petitioner caused disturbances during the election.
“When the district election officer was examined in court, he could not provide any evidence, not even video proof, that the petitioner had caused any disruption,” the lawyer noted.
“You cannot be the beneficiary of such irregularities and call yourself an MP. That is out of the question,” he insisted.
The ruling paves the way for a new parliamentary contest in Kpandai, with the NDC confident that the fresh election will restore the constituency’s true mandate.
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