KT Hammond has voiced his astonishment regarding the decision to move forward with elections in Kpandai, asserting that the issue is currently before the Supreme Court for interpretation and should not be acted upon until the court has made a ruling.
According to the former Trade and Industry Minister, the legal measures had been implemented to prevent any electoral process from occurring.
“I am surprised by the turn of events, especially when this matter has been sent to the Supreme Court for a thorough interpretation. There is a stay of execution which we have initiated at the Tamale Court,” he stated.
Hammond raised concerns about the validity of the case presented by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), contending that it was submitted beyond the legally allowed timeframe for election disputes.
“When there is any election dispute, the aggrieved party has 21 days to file a complaint. In this Kpandai case, the time has far elapsed, so there is no credibility in the case filed by the NDC,” he said.
To bolster his argument, Hammond referenced his own experience in a prior parliamentary election.
“When I lost the Adansi Asokwa parliamentary seat to the NDC candidate, I was told I technically had no case because my petition fell outside the timeframe, even though it was just a few hours late. On that basis, the NDC has no case in this Kpandai dispute,” he stressed.
He assured supporters that there would be no rerun until the Supreme Court has conclusively dealt with the matter.
“There will be no rerun until the case is heard and determined by the Supreme Court,” Hammond said.
Hammond also criticised the NDC, accusing the party of engaging in unnecessary tactics despite its strong presence in Parliament.
“Even with the overwhelming majority they have in Parliament, they are still involved in these shenanigans just to reduce the NPP’s seats,” he added.
The Electoral Commission (EC) ordered a rerun of the parliamentary election in the Kpandai Constituency following disputes arising from the declaration of results in the 2024 general elections.
The EC cited irregularities at selected polling stations as the basis for its decision, a move that was challenged by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The NPP subsequently filed applications at the High Court in Tamale and escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking an interpretation of the EC’s powers and a stay of execution to halt the rerun pending further proceedings.
