The Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has warned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against assuming that the legal contest over the Kpandai parliamentary seat has been settled.
This follows a Supreme Court decision that restored the election of the party’s candidate, Matthew Nyindam.
Reacting to the ruling, Mr Dafeamekpor stressed that the matter remains open and that further lawful steps may be taken once the full judgment of the court is formally filed.
“The NPP shouldn’t think that it is over. It is not over,” the South Dayi MP stated.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court, by a 4–1 majority, overturned a High Court ruling that had annulled the 2024 parliamentary election in the Kpandai Constituency.
The apex court upheld an application filed by Mr Nyindam, who sought to invoke the court’s supervisory jurisdiction to set aside the High Court decision on the basis of jurisdictional error. The ruling effectively reinstated him as Member of Parliament for the constituency.
Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, who presided over the panel, dissented.
The central issue before the Supreme Court concerned the date on which the Electoral Commission (EC) gazetted the results of the 2024 parliamentary election in Kpandai. The interpretation of the gazette notification proved pivotal to the court’s determination.
Commenting on the decision, Mr Dafeamekpor said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) was “aggrieved” by the outcome but remained committed to the rule of law and due process.
“As a party, we are grieved by this decision, and therefore we would advise our candidate in the matter regarding the next step to take. But the court is a court of equity and of law,” he said.
The South Dayi MP questioned the apparent treatment of the gazette notification published by the Assembly Press under the authority of the Electoral Commission, describing it as a valid public document that should not be selectively discredited.
“We should be interested in the gazette notification published by the Assembly Press under the authority of the Electoral Commission that was brought to Parliament, from which people like me were sworn in. That cannot be a gazette that will be discounted by the court, because it is a public document,” he argued.
Mr Dafeamekpor further accused the NPP of inconsistency in its attitude towards the judiciary, recalling that the party had previously criticised the courts when earlier rulings went against it.
“When the court gave the decision in our favour, they called it a kangaroo court. Today, when they have obtained a decision in their favour, they are singing the praises of the court,” he remarked.
Despite his criticisms, Mr Dafeamekpor emphasised that the NDC would remain law-abiding and urged its supporters, both in Accra and in Kpandai, to remain calm.
“We are law-abiding, and we want to urge our teeming supporters both here and in Kpandai to remain calm. This is not the end,” he said.
He disclosed that the Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to be formally filed by February 6, after which the party will determine its next course of action.
“The ruling of the court will be filed according to the court’s own decision by the sixth of February. The NPP shouldn’t think that it is over. It is not over,” Mr Dafeamekpor reiterated.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com