The Minority Caucus in Parliament says the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Tamale High Court ruling on the Kpandai parliamentary election has exposed what it describes as the reckless and premature conduct of Parliament.
Parliament, acting through the Clerk, had on Monday, December 8, formally notified the Electoral Commission that the Kpandai seat was vacant. This followed a High Court ruling which ordered a rerun of the 2024 parliamentary election over alleged irregularities.
The decision prompted preparations for a by-election scheduled for December 30, 2025, despite the fact that an application for stay of execution was pending and the matter was already before the Supreme Court.
However, in a 4–1 majority decision delivered on Wednesday, January 28, the apex court set aside the High Court ruling, stating that the election petition had been filed outside the statutory time limits. The court further held that the Tamale High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Reacting to the judgment in a statement signed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the caucus said the ruling vindicates its long-standing concerns about Parliament’s actions.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling exposes as reckless and constitutionally unsafe the indecent haste with which Parliament, acting through the Clerk, rushed to declare the Kpandai seat vacant while live court processes and applications for stay were still pending,” the statement said.
The Minority warned that acting on non-final court decisions undermines democratic representation and the rule of law, urging Parliament to exercise greater restraint in election-related disputes.
