The Tamale High Court has cancelled the 2024 parliamentary election in the Kpandai constituency and directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a fresh poll within 30 days. The ruling, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Brew Plange, follows a petition by NDC candidate Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who alleged widespread irregularities.
Wakpal challenged discrepancies in Form 8A (pink sheets) from 41 out of 152 polling stations, arguing that the breaches violated Regulations 39 and 43 of CI 127. The court agreed, ruling that the irregularities were significant enough to compromise the integrity of the election.
The decision overturns the victory of NPP MP Matthew Nyindam, who was declared winner with 27,947 votes (53.47%), against Wakpal’s 24,213 votes (46.33%) — a margin of 3,734. A third candidate, APC’s Donkor Eric Nipani, polled 104 votes.
Election Day Chaos
Tension had erupted at the collation centre on December 7, 2024, amid allegations of vote-rigging. Reports indicated that biometric devices were seized, ballots destroyed and security forces called in as tempers flared.
Justice Plange described the EC’s conduct — including the unauthorised relocation of the collation centre without informing candidates — as a breach that denied the NDC candidate his legal rights to request recounts and challenge irregularities.
Lawyers React
Lawyers for Nyindam say they will file for a stay of execution and appeal the ruling.
But Wakpal’s counsel insist the case was straightforward:
“The EC’s district officer acted unlawfully. You cannot relocate a collation centre without notifying candidates,” he said, arguing that the ruling “restores the power of the people of Kpandai.”
NDC Claims Vindication
NDC Deputy Director of Elections, Rashid Tanko Computer, said the judgment confirms their long-held concerns about electoral manipulation.
“They abandoned CI 127. They didn’t do the collation — they ran to Tamale, cooked results and declared Nyindam,” he alleged.
He added that the NDC pursued the case entirely through legal processes:
“We followed due process and have secured a favourable judgment.”
He then issued a bold warning to the NPP ahead of the by-election:
“The NPP shouldn’t come for the by-election because we will hand them a heavy defeat. If they want to maintain any respect, they should bow out — just as they did in Tamale Central.”
