The Minority in Parliament has issued a firm statement following the Supreme Court’s decision on the Kpandai parliamentary election, using the ruling not only to welcome the outcome but to warn against what it describes as a dangerous erosion of restraint in how election disputes are handled within state institutions.
The statement signed by the Minority Leader Osahene Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin released shortly after the apex court quashed a High Court judgment ordering a rerun in Kpandai, frames the ruling as a corrective moment for Parliament and the wider constitutional system, rather than a narrow legal victory for a single Member of Parliament.
According to the Minority, the Supreme Court’s 4–1 decision—based on the High Court’s lack of jurisdiction due to a time-barred petition—reinforces a fundamental democratic principle: elections cannot be unsettled once lawful timelines are ignored.
But the core purpose of the Minority’s intervention goes beyond the court outcome. The caucus used the statement to openly challenge Parliament’s earlier decision to declare the Kpandai seat vacant while appellate processes and applications for stay were still pending.
The Minority described that action as premature and constitutionally unsafe, arguing that it departed from long-standing parliamentary practice and exposed the House to the risk of “manufactured vacancies.”
By referencing past cases involving sitting Members of Parliament who faced serious legal challenges, the Minority sought to establish a consistent historical pattern: Parliament has traditionally waited for final judicial determination before activating vacancy procedures. The Kpandai situation, it argued, broke from that restraint.
The statement calls for immediate administrative corrections to reflect the Supreme Court’s ruling, including the withdrawal of any notifications suggesting that the Kpandai seat is vacant. It also urges an internal parliamentary review to prevent similar actions in future election disputes.
Beyond procedural issues, the Minority positioned its statement as a defence of voter representation. It stressed that the rush to trigger a rerun placed the people of Kpandai in unnecessary uncertainty and risked disenfranchising voters who had already expressed their will at the ballot box.
While acknowledging the National Democratic Congress’ disagreement with aspects of the ruling and its consideration of a review, the Minority emphasised that democratic disagreement must remain within lawful channels and not be used to alter parliamentary composition through unresolved judgments.
The statement concludes by reaffirming the Minority’s broader objective: safeguarding due process, electoral integrity and the principle that parliamentary representation should not be interrupted unless compelled by a final court order.
Hon. Matthew Nyindam is expected to return to Parliament when the House resumes on February 3, marking what the Minority describes as the restoration of lawful representation for the people of Kpandai.
Story By: Sheila Otto-Baffour