Ghana's Parliament has seen several politicians leave the chamber at different points in their careers and later find their way back, either through a fresh electoral victory or, in one recent case, a court decision restoring a parliamentary mandate.

While some returned after spending years outside Parliament, others had their parliamentary status restored following legal challenges.

Here are three Ghanaian MPs who have made notable returns to Parliament and are currently serving in the House.

1. Collins Dauda – Asutifi South

Alhaji Collins Dauda is one of the clearest examples of a Ghanaian politician who made a parliamentary comeback after losing his seat.

Dauda was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South in the 1992 parliamentary election on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He retained the seat in the 1996 election but lost it in the 2000 polls to Cecilia Gyan Amoah of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

His defeat meant that Dauda was out of Parliament during the early years of the Fourth Republic.

However, he returned to the political arena and successfully regained the Asutifi South seat in the 2004 parliamentary election.

His comeback marked the beginning of another long stretch in Parliament. Dauda retained the constituency in subsequent elections and went on to serve in government under the NDC, including as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and later as Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing.

He remained the MP for Asutifi South through the 7th and 8th Parliaments and retained the seat again in the 2024 general election.

The 2024 election results show Dauda winning Asutifi South with 20,020 votes against 16,092 votes for his closest rival.

He is therefore one of the current MPs whose parliamentary career includes a period outside the House before making a successful return.

2. Baba Jamal – Ayawaso East

Alhaji Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed is another politician who has returned to Parliament after spending several years outside the chamber.

Baba Jamal previously served as the Member of Parliament for Akwatia from 2013 to 2017. After leaving Parliament, he continued his political career and also served as Ghana's High Commissioner to Nigeria.

He returned through the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election held on March 3, 2026.

Baba Jamal, the NDC candidate, won the by-election with 10,884 votes, defeating four other contestants and securing the seat for the party.

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Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin subsequently swore him in on March 10, 2026.

His return is particularly notable because it came through a by-election rather than a general election, allowing him to re-enter Parliament mid-term.

He currently represents Ayawaso East, a constituency covering areas including Nima, Maamobi and Accra New Town.

3. Matthew Nyindam – Kpandai

Matthew Nyindam presents a different form of parliamentary comeback.

Unlike Collins Dauda and Baba Jamal, Nyindam did not spend an entire parliamentary term outside the House before his return. His case followed a legal battle over the validity of his 2024 parliamentary victory.

Nyindam was elected as the Member of Parliament for Kpandai in the 2024 general election.

However, the Tamale High Court later annulled the election and ordered a re-run, creating uncertainty over his status as MP.

The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which on January 28, 2026, set aside the High Court's decision and its consequential orders.

The Supreme Court ruled by a 4-1 majority, effectively restoring Nyindam's election as MP for Kpandai.

Nyindam's case therefore differs from the traditional political comeback. His return did not come from winning a fresh parliamentary election after losing his seat; it followed a judicial decision that restored his original electoral mandate.

Three different routes back to Parliament

The experiences of Collins Dauda, Baba Jamal and Matthew Nyindam demonstrate three different ways a politician can return to Ghana's Parliament.

Dauda lost his constituency and later won it back in a subsequent general election. Baba Jamal spent years outside Parliament before securing a new seat through a by-election. Nyindam, meanwhile, had his parliamentary mandate restored after the Supreme Court overturned a High Court decision that had annulled his election.

All three are currently members of Ghana's Parliament, but their routes back to the chamber differ markedly.

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