President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has attributed the ordered rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election to administrative failures by the Electoral Commission (EC), insisting that the candidates involved should not be blamed for the outcome.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, December 13, Mr Cudjoe argued that the controversy which led to the annulment of the 2024 results arose from lapses in the EC’s handling of the collation process.
He maintained that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the candidates who contested the election.
“The collation issues and everything that followed point clearly to the Electoral Commission. The fact that these lapses were allowed to occur tells me that the EC bears responsibility for this whole situation,” he said, adding that the Commission ought to be held accountable for its role in the matter.
Mr Cudjoe further stated that the rerun amounted to an injustice against the New Patriotic Party’s candidate, Matthew Nyindam, whom he believes legitimately won the 2024 contest.
“I feel very uncomfortable about this process. It is a disservice to a candidate who won an election, and for that reason, I hope he wins again,” he remarked.
The IMANI Africa President also questioned the broader implications of repeated election reruns, warning that they risk undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
He suggested that political parties and the EC must work to prevent administrative shortcomings from distorting electoral outcomes.
The Kpandai rerun follows a ruling by the Tamale High Court, which annulled the 2024 parliamentary election after a petition by the National Democratic Congress’ candidate, Nsala Wakpal.
The court held that the final collation was conducted without the NDC candidate or a designated agent present, prompting Parliament to declare the seat vacant and the EC to schedule a rerun for Tuesday, December 30.