The Supreme Court has scheduled January 28, 2026, to deliver its ruling on whether to quash the High Court judgment that annulled the 2024 parliamentary election results for Kpandai in the Northern Region.
A five member panel, comprising Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Omoro Tanko, Yonny Kulendi, Samuel Asiedu, and Henry Anthony Kwofie, heard arguments on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, on an application invoking the court’s supervisory jurisdiction to overturn the November 24, 2025, High Court decision in Tamale.
The case centers on a certiorari application filed by Matthew Nyindam, the embattled New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Kpandai. Nyindam is seeking to quash a Tamale High Court ruling that annulled his 2024 election victory and ordered a fresh poll.
Counsel for the applicant, Gary Nimako Marfo, told the Supreme Court that the petition filed at the High Court on January 25, 2025, was outside the constitutionally mandated filing period. He explained that the Electoral Commission gazetted the official Kpandai results on December 24, 2024, and that under Article 99 of the Constitution, a petition must be filed within 21 days.
“The law provides the timelines within which a petition can be filed and before the High Court can be grounded with jurisdiction, and that is 21 days after gazette of the official results,” he argued. Marfo further contended that the High Court assumed jurisdiction outside the statutory scope, in breach of Section 18 of PNDC Law 284, and described the alleged error as “so apparent on the face of the record” that the Supreme Court should quash the judgment.
Opposing the application, counsel for the first interested party, Sika Abla Addo, said the applicant was selectively relying on gazette notifications. She noted that two gazettes were relevant, dated December 24, 2024, and January 6, 2025, and argued that the January 6 gazette should govern the filing period.
“The High Court was satisfied that there was a gazette notification on January 6, 2025, and it was on the back of this that the court assumed jurisdiction, proceeded to hear the matter, and delivered a judgment,” Addo submitted.
Counsel for the Electoral Commission, Justin Amenuvor, told the court that in previous election cases, gazettes circulated online were considered official. He said he had personally verified the relevant gazette at the Assembly Press when the Kpandai petition arose.
The Supreme Court has adjourned the case for ruling on January 28, 2026. The outcome will determine whether the annulment of the Kpandai parliamentary election result stands or is overturned.
The political future of the Kpandai constituency remains in limbo following the Supreme Court’s decision to adjourn its ruling. The courtroom was packed with a heavy presence of high ranking officials from both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with Members of Parliament descending on the apex court in solidarity.
The case stems from the Tamale High Court’s decision to set aside the election of Nyindam following a petition by NDC candidate Daniel Nsala Wakpal. The High Court ruling, delivered on November 24, 2025, nullified the entire Kpandai parliamentary election citing widespread procedural irregularities.
Justice Emmanuel Brew Plange’s ruling highlighted critical failures, including the unauthorized relocation of a collation center and what he described as “deepened ink cancellations” on official records. The judge noted that while only 41 polling stations were scrutinized in detail, the errors were so systemic that they “rendered the records unreliable,” leading to an order for a full rerun across all 152 polling stations.
Following the annulment, the Electoral Commission had initially scheduled a rerun for December 30, 2025. However, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on December 16, 2025, effectively putting all electoral preparations on hold until the jurisdictional issue is resolved.
The December 16 ruling suspended all EC proceedings and activities related to the Kpandai parliamentary rerun, pending final determination of the case. The Supreme Court had initially adjourned the matter to January 13, 2026, for further consideration before setting January 28 as the judgment date.
Reacting to the decision, Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip Rockson Nelson Dafeamakpor said the NDC is confident of victory. “It is a very straightforward ruling. It does not affect Nyindam’s position regarding his return to the House,” Dafeamekpor said on December 16. “He’s not an MP. The Supreme Court has not annulled or overturned the decision of the High Court. He is no longer an MP.”
The controversy has triggered chaotic scenes in Parliament, where Speaker Alban Bagbin had earlier clarified that Matthew Nyindam remained the MP until December 1, 2025. The subsequent declaration of a vacancy triggered heated debates in the House on December 9.
Recent polling data from Global InfoAnalytics highlights the constituency’s volatility, placing Nyindam on 50 percent and Wakpal on 46 percent, a margin well within the survey’s plus or minus 3.9 percent margin of error.
For the people of Kpandai, the legal wrangling has left them heading into 2026 without a sitting representative able to fully function in Parliament. “Why is Parliament fighting the courts? It makes us lose faith in the system,” said Aminu Idrisu, a resident of Kpandai. Another voter, Asibi Adamu, echoed the frustration, stating, “All these politicians are making noise while our MP can’t work. Let the courts finish the case so we can move on.”
The Supreme Court’s final ruling in January 2026 will serve as a defining test of Ghana’s institutional balance and could set important precedents for how election petition timelines are interpreted in future cases.
