Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has criticised the Electoral Commission’s decision to set December 30 for a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election, describing the move as premature and dismissive of ongoing court proceedings involving NPP candidate Matthew Nyindam.

This follows Parliament’s declaration of the Kpandai seat as vacant, following a High Court ruling that voided the 2024 parliamentary results. According to Dr. Bawumia the Commission should not act as though the legal disputes have been settled when both an appeal and a judicial review are still before the courts.

He argued that the speed with which the rerun date was announced reflects an unusual level of urgency that does not align with Ghana’s democratic traditions or parliamentary conventions.

Dr. Bawumia pointed to earlier cases involving Dan Abodakpi and James Gyakye Quayson, where Parliament and state agencies held off on taking action until all legal processes had been exhausted. He questioned why the same approach is not being applied in the current situation.

He warned that moving ahead with the election while the courts are yet to rule risks sidelining Nyindam and undermining the integrity of the judicial process.

Describing the development as a break from long-standing parliamentary practice, Dr. Bawumia called for consistency, restraint, and respect for due process. Ghana’s democracy, he said, can only be strengthened when institutions uphold the same standards for everyone.