 flagbearer hopeful, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over what he describes as a rushed and politically questionable handling of the Kpandai parliamentary case, warning that the move risks undermining Ghana’s democratic institutions.){kind=link}
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over what he describes as a rushed and politically questionable handling of the Kpandai parliamentary case, warning that the move risks undermining Ghana’s democratic institutions.
Dr. Bawumia’s comments follow the Electoral Commission’s (EC) announcement of a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election on December 30, after Parliament declared the seat vacant following a Tamale High Court annulment of the 2024 results.
Speaking on the development, Dr. Bawumia said the government’s approach reflects “an indecent haste” that deviates from the norms that have guided Ghana’s democratic processes for decades.
According to him, the decision to proceed with a rerun, despite pending legal processes initiated by the affected MP, Matthew Nyindam, is not only unfair but also inconsistent with long-standing parliamentary precedent. Nyindam has filed both an appeal and a judicial review, which Dr. Bawumia argues must be respected before any electoral rerun can be considered.
“We should take a halt to these processes and allow him to have his day in court, just as others have been allowed in the past,” he said. “I think this undermines our institutions of democracy.”
He further criticised what he described as a departure from parliamentary practice, stating that the House “has never rushed in this way when it came to cases involving other parties.”
Dr. Bawumia urged the government and state institutions to exercise restraint and ensure fairness, cautioning that Ghana’s democracy can only thrive if rules and precedents are applied equally.