The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Kpandai in the 2024 elections, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, has filed a fresh suit at the Supreme Court challenging key provisions of Ghana’s election law.
In a writ invoking the court’s original jurisdiction, Wakpal is asking the Supreme Court to declare that Section 18 of the Representation of the People Law (PNDCL 284) is inconsistent with the 1992 Constitution.
He argued that the provision—requiring parliamentary election petitions to be filed only after results are published in the Ghana Gazette—undermines constitutional rules governing elections and the resolution of disputes.
Wakpal is seeking several declarations from the court, including that the High Court’s constitutional jurisdiction under Article 99(1) to hear parliamentary election petitions cannot be restricted by subordinate legislation such as PNDCL 284.
He further contends that, under a proper interpretation of Articles 49(2), 49(3), 99(1), and 99(2) of the Constitution, an aggrieved party should be able to challenge results declared at the polling station without waiting for the Electoral Commission to publish constituency results in the Gazette.
He is also asking the court to rule that the Supreme Court does not have original jurisdiction over parliamentary election disputes, arguing that such matters fall exclusively within the High Court’s mandate.
In the suit, Wakpal says he is bringing the action as a citizen under Articles 2(1) and 130(1) of the Constitution, which allow individuals to challenge laws deemed inconsistent with the Constitution.
The case comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s January 26, 2026, decision that set aside a Tamale High Court ruling annulling the Kpandai parliamentary election and ordering a rerun, effectively halting the Electoral Commission’s plans for a fresh poll in the constituency.
Wakpal is also seeking any further orders the court may consider necessary to give full effect to its declarations.
SOURCE: THE NEWSCENTA