Deputy Minority Leader Warns Against Electoral Commission’s “Indecent Haste” in Kpandai Case

The Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, has cautioned that the defendant in the Kpandai election dispute has every legal right to file prerogative writs to challenge the court’s ruling, as well as pursue an appeal and an application for a stay of execution.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Appiagyei argued that no court in a civilized society would allow the beneficiary of a judgement to act on it “as though the cow has been given to them to slaughter,” while legitimate legal processes are still pending.

She stressed that it is a fundamental principle of law that the position of both parties before the commencement of a civil suit must be preserved throughout the pendency of the case. Any deviation, she said, would allow “the law of the jungle” to prevail and undermine justice.

Hon. Appiagyei further questioned the consequences should the Court of Appeal later determine that nothing improper occurred during the election, or rule that only the few polling stations cited by the plaintiff require a rerun. In such a scenario, she argued, the Electoral Commission’s “indecent and unlawful haste” to conduct a fresh election could create a constitutional crisis, particularly if the challenged candidate is sworn in as an MP while the case is still active.

She warned that such an outcome would contradict the very principles of fairness and due process that guide the justice system.

Report by PKB