Entertainment
Kpandai Parliamentary Re-run: Minority Caucus disagrees with court ruling, rejects re-run
The Minority Caucus has issued an official statement rejecting High Court ruling that nullified the 2024 Kpandai parliamentary election, insisting the poll was transparent and reflected the will of the people.
According to the Minority Caucus, records show a transparent process, a credible declaration, and a result that reflected the will of the people.
In a statement signed by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, it is important for the public to have a full understanding of what occurred before, during and after the collation.
The statement noted that Matthew Nyindam won the parliamentary election with a margin of 3,734 votes.
The statement added that “After the NDC secured the presidential results, the NDC parliamentary candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, gathered a group of supporters who arrived at the collation centre in a Mahindra pickup wearing NDC T-shirts.”
“They damaged some ballot boxes in an attempt to interrupt the collation, believing that the Electoral Commission would not have the pink sheets required to complete the declaration. The tension that followed created serious security risks,” the statement alleged.
According to the Minority, this led the Electoral Commission to move the final declaration to its regional office in Tamale. All NDC agents had already signed the pink sheets at every polling station across the constituency. confirming the accuracy of the results.
They added that when Wakpal realised that he had lost the election, he refused to go to Tamale for the collation.
The Electoral Commission continued with its work and declared Matthew Nyindam the winner with 27,947 votes, while Hon Nsala secured 24,213 votes.
“Wakpal later challenged the results in court. His case focused on his absence in Tamale and on clerical errors in 41 out of 1$2 polling stations. During the trial, the main witness for the NDC stated that the total votes in contention were about 500. Even if the court had awarded all 500 votes to the NDC candidate, he would still have lost by more than 3,000 votes,” they further noted.
They highlighted in their statement that despite this clear position, the Tamale High Court has nullified the entire results and ordered a rerun in the constituency.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
Entertainment
‘Artivism’ at TGMA27: Okyeame Kwame uses gold-themed Red Carpet look to wage war against galamsey
Renowned musician and “Rap Dacta” Okyeame Kwame transformed the 2026 Telecel Ghana Music Awards (TGMA) red carpet into a platform for environmental activism, making a bold visual statement against the devastating effects of illegal mining, affectionately called galamsey.
Arriving in a striking ensemble, the artiste was draped in gold colours from head to toe, complete with a matching gold-plated sword.
However, the glamour carried a somber message. Flanked by two bodybuilders who performed as figures suffering from the physical and environmental “cancers” of illegal mining, Okyeame Kwame’s appearance served as a stark contrast between the beauty of Ghana’s gold and the destruction caused by its extraction.
Speaking to host Giovanni Caleb, the musician explained that his “glittering” look was a deliberate irony intended to spark a national conversation.
“I wanted to look like gold to remind Ghanaians that while gold glitters, galamsey destroys our rivers, our rocks, our air, and our nature,” Okyeame Kwame stated.
He further emphasised that the fight against environmental degradation transcends partisan lines.
“If we glitter like this once every year and forget that it is not the responsibility of the NPP or NDC, but the collective responsibility of all Ghanaians to stop this galamsey cancer, then we have failed,” he added.
Long recognized as an ‘Artivist,’ Okyeame Kwame has a storied history of using his public platform to champion social and environmental causes.
The 2026 TGMA, while a night of musical celebration, was momentarily refocused by the Rap Dacta’s plea for the protection of Ghana’s natural heritage, proving once again that art remains one of the most powerful tools for social change.
Okyeame Kwame is currently out with new single dubbed, “Clap,” a song encouraging communal support and celebration of others’ successes.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The biggest event on Ghana’s entertainment calendar is set for a night of honours, pomp, and pageantry.
It is a night where musicians who excelled during the year under review will be rewarded through the endorsement of the Telecel Ghana Music Awards Board, the Academy, and the general public.
The Grand Arena, the ideal venue for the 27th TGMA, will host a star-studded audience of musicians, media personalities, businessmen, politicians, actors, and footballers among others.
On this night, the most coveted prize is the Artiste of the Year (AOTY) category, which will see the crowning of a new king or queen of Ghana music.
Two heavyweights in the category, Stonebwoy and Sarkodie, have the opportunity to set an enviable record as the only artistes to win the coveted title for a third time.
Should they fall short, the opportunity shifts to Black Sherif and Diana Hamilton to equal the record of two wins, joining the elite ranks of past double-winners like VIP.
A win for Diana Hamilton, will set her up in a lonely journey at the top as the only gospel musician, to win the Artiste of the Year for the second time.
Alternatively, Wendy Shay could make her debut by winning the award for the first time. This would make her team up with Diana Hamilton as the only female artistes alive to hold the title. The late Ebony, won it posthumously in 2018.
If the title slips past them and falls to Medikal, he will also become a first-time winner, etching his name into the annals of Ghana music history.
Patrons can look forward to electrifying performances from a long list of confirmed artistes, including Black Sherif, Diana Hamilton, Piesie Esther, R2Bees, Medikal, Wendy Shay, Lasmid, Kofi Kinaata, Samini, and Fido, among others.
Beyond the ultimate prize, several other major categories are up for grabs, including Music Video of the Year, New Artiste of the Year, Gospel Artiste of the Year, Most Popular Song of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
