Supreme Court Quashes Tamale High Court Ruling on Kpandai Parliamentary Election; Rerun Cancelled

Ghana’s Supreme Court has today overturned the Tamale High Court’s decision that annulled the 2024 parliamentary election results in the Kpandai Constituency and ordered a fresh poll. The apex court’s ruling effectively cancels the planned rerun and restores the legal outcome prior to the High Court’s judgment. 

In a majority decision of four justices to one, the Supreme Court quashed the Tamale High Court’s ruling that had nullified the victory of Matthew Nyindam, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate declared winner of the December 7, 2024 parliamentary election. The lone dissenting voice was recorded by one justice on the panel. 

The legal battle began after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, filed an election petition challenging the results. In November 2025, the Tamale High Court annulled the election and ordered a rerun. Subsequently, the Electoral Commission scheduled a rerun for late December. 

However, Mr Nyindam took the matter to the Supreme Court, arguing that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the petition because it was filed outside the constitutionally mandated timeline for election disputes. His legal team maintained that the petition was lodged after the 21-day limit specified by Ghana’s electoral laws had already expired. 

The Supreme Court agreed with this position, ruling that the High Court erred in hearing the case and issuing orders it was not empowered to make. As a result, the High Court’s judgment and the rerun directive are nullified. 

With the annulment of the rerun order, Matthew Nyindam’s position as the elected Member of Parliament for Kpandai is effectively upheld, bringing an end to months of legal uncertainty. 

Political stakeholders are expected to react to the ruling, which has significant implications for parliamentary representation and the handling of election disputes in Ghana.