BY Daniel Bampoe
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched one of its strongest attacks yet on the John Dramani Mahama administration, accusing the government of presiding over “institutional capture, judicial manipulation, insecurity, and democratic decay.”
Addressing a heavily attended press conference in Accra, the NPP’s National Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B), delivered a blistering critique of the recent High Court judgment that annulled the Kpandai parliamentary election.
He described the ruling as “a constitutional abomination” and “a dangerous judicial assault that threatens Ghana’s democracy.”
The press conference was called following the Tamale High Court’s November 24, 2025 decision ordering a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary poll, which the NPP’s candidate Matthew Nyindam had won by a margin of 3,734 votes in the December 7, 2024 general elections.
A Seat, A Petition, And A Disputed Judgment
The Kpandai constituency, long considered a swing area, became a major battleground during the 2024 elections.
Mattew Nyindam secured a decisive victory, defeating NDC candidate Daniel Nsala Wakpal by thousands of votes.
Under the election laws, any petition challenging a parliamentary result must be filed within 21 days after the election is gazetted. The Kpandai results were published on December 24, 2024, meaning the deadline elapsed on January 14, 2025.
But the petitioner filed his challenge on January 25 — 32 days after gazette publication.
Despite this, the High Court proceeded with the case and eventually nullified the results, citing irregularities and violence during the collation process, and ordered a full rerun.
The ruling has since triggered protests in Parliament, resistance from Kpandai chiefs, and a fierce legal battle.
NPP Fires Back: “A Catastrophically Dangerous Judgment”
Reading the 40-minute statement on behalf of the party, Nana Boakye said the NPP would not remain silent while “the will of the people is overturned through judicial recklessness.”
He declared: “This judgment is not merely incorrect. It is catastrophically dangerous. It is a monument to judicial recklessness. If it stands, it will unleash chaos that will consume our democracy.”
The NPP National Organizer accused the presiding judge of:
• Ignoring the statutory 21-day filing requirement
• Disregarding Regulation 48(2) of C.I. 127
• Bypassing binding precedent from the Supreme Court
• Rewarding violent conduct by the petitioner’s supporters
• Voiding an election whose outcome could not have been affected by the alleged irregularities
He argued that even the petitioner admitted the disputed votes were just over 500, far below the winning margin of 3,734.
Nana B said: “This is primary school arithmetic. Five hundred votes cannot overturn 3,734. Yet the court scandalously threw away the election. This is judicial malpractice.”
NPP Says Judge Ignored Binding Laws
The party accused the High Court of discarding Regulation 48(2), which clearly states that the absence of a candidate or agent at a collation centre does not invalidate the collation process.
Nana B argued: “By ignoring this black-letter law, the court did not interpret the Constitution — it rewrote it. This is judicial dictatorship.”
He further accused the judge of applying different standards of proof to benefit the petitioner: “They refused to hold the petitioner accountable for vandalism but relied on speculation to void votes. This is biased justice.”
“This Judgment Rewards Violence” — NPP Raises Alarm
The NPP claimed the most dangerous implication of the ruling was that it effectively rewards political violence.
According to the party, the petitioner’s supporters vandalized the original collation centre, forcing the Electoral Commission to relocate the process.
Yet the judge invalidated the entire election partly because the petitioner was not notified before the relocation.
Nana B warned:“If this stands, losing candidates will vandalize collation centres nationwide to force reruns. This is a deadly precedent. This is how democracies die.”
NPP Legal Response: Appeal, Certiorari, and Stay of Execution
The party announced a three-pronged legal strategy:
1. A stay of execution filed at the Tamale High Court
2. A notice of appeal lodged at the Court of Appeal
3. A certiorari application filed at the Supreme Court to quash the judgment
Nana B reassured supporters: “We will fight this judicial abomination with every lawful tool at our disposal.”
Chiefs Of Kpandai Reject Rerun, Support Nyindam
Traditional authorities from the Kpandai Traditional Area have publicly rejected the High Court’s directive.
The Chief of Brajaai, Nana Nkpajator, speaking on behalf of a group of chiefs, said: “The same election that elected President Mahama is the same election that elected Matthew Nyindam. We do not want any rerun. It will disturb the peace of the area.”
The chiefs described the court’s ruling as “unfair” and called on government to respect the constituency’s choice.
NPP Accuses Mahama Government of A Pattern of Democratic Abuse
Linking the Kpandai ruling to wider political concerns, the NPP argued that the case is only one element of what it calls a larger agenda by the NDC to “capture state institutions and suppress the opposition.”
Nana B cited:
• The Ablekuma North partial rerun clashes
• Alleged vote buying in Akwatia
• Sofo Azorka’s threats against the Minority Leader
• Attempts to “intimidate and silence” NPP MPs
• A decline in national security and rule of law under President Mahama
He stated: “Ghanaians are not safe under this government. From insecurity to institutional abuse, the country is drifting. And now, even our votes are unsafe.”
Insecurity, Galamsey, Education Failure — NPP Expands Critique
The National Organizer broadened his attack, saying misgovernance under Mahama has reached “catastrophic levels.”
He mentioned:
• The rise in insecurity nationwide
• Galamsey destroying rivers under the watch of “state-sponsored actors”
• Over one million tonnes of rice rotting while farmers suffer
• Declining performance of SHS students
He concluded:“This is not governance. This is catastrophic failure. This is not the Ghana we handed over.”
NPP Calls on the Courts, Media, And Citizens To Act
The party ended with strong demands directed at all key institutions:
• The appellate courts should reverse the ruling
• President Mahama should “stop capturing state institutions”
• Journalists and citizens should be vigilant
• NPP supporters should remain peaceful but resolute
