The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has publicly questioned the handling of the Kpandai parliamentary election petition.

The lawmaker cited what he described as a troubling pattern of missed timelines and procedural opacity by the High Court in Tamale, presided over by Justice Manuel Bart-Plange Brew.

Tamale High Court sets December 18 for ruling on Kpandai MP's stay of execution

In a strongly worded statement posted on his Facebook account on Friday, December 19, 2025, Afenyo-Markin disclosed that the High Court failed to sit on a scheduled ruling date, with parties only being informed by the court registrar that the judge was “indisposed.”

According to him, the missed sitting is not an isolated incident but part of a series of delays that followed Justice Brew’s decision on November 24, 2025, to nullify the entire Kpandai parliamentary election and order a fresh poll.

“Justice Manuel Bart-Plange Brew of the High Court, Tamale did not sit yesterday. No ruling was delivered. No new date was fixed. Parties were simply informed by the Registrar that 'He’s indisposed.' This is not an isolated incident,” he raised concern.

Afenyo-Markin criticised the court’s ruling, noting that although the election petition challenged alleged irregularities in only a limited number of polling stations, the High Court imposed what he described as “the most extreme remedy available” by cancelling the entire constituency election.

The leader, who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu, stressed that the stakes in the case are high, not only for the affected MP but also for parliamentary representation and the voters of Kpandai.

He argued that the High Court’s decision has already altered the composition of Parliament, prompted preparations for a by-election and necessitated intervention by the Supreme Court.

“… That decision not only strips an MP of his seat but also temporarily reduces NPP’s strength in Parliament and unsettles representation for the people of Kpandai. Parliament’s rapid move to declare the seat effectively vacant, over Minority objections and in the teeth of pending court cases, magnified the impact of that single, still-contested judgment,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin further questioned why courts fix firm ruling dates if they are not treated as binding, adding that litigants and state institutions have organised their actions around timelines that were not honored.

While acknowledging that judges are entitled to ill health and recovery, he insisted that transparency and prompt communication are essential in cases of such national importance.

“Why do judges fix firm ruling dates in open court if those timelines are not treated as binding commitments? Litigants, Parliament and the Electoral Commission have all now organised their conduct around dates that the court itself has not honored.

“What does 'indisposed' mean in this context? If His Lordship is unwell, he is entitled to every courtesy and every wish for full recovery. But in a case of this magnitude, the parties and the public deserve more than a single unexplained word. Even a brief, transparent administrative explanation and a prompt alternative date would show respect for the litigants’ rights and the constitutional stakes,” he added.

He called on Justice Brew to promptly deliver a ruling on the stay of execution application to restore procedural clarity and confidence in the judicial process.

Supreme Court suspends Kpandai constituency election re-run

“The people of Kpandai, whose lawful votes are already in limbo, are waiting,” Afenyo-Markin added.

He warned that justice delayed, particularly after a sweeping and controversial judgment, risks undermining public confidence in the administration of justice.

Read his full statement below:



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