Hot!
Review of Kpandai ruling will waste time and resources – Nii Lante Vanderpuye
National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has cautioned the National Democratic Congress NDC against seeking a review of the Supreme Court decision on the Kpandai parliamentary election.
According to him, pursuing a review could drain time, resources, and morale without producing any meaningful benefit.
Mr Vanderpuye explained that party leaders are currently studying the judgment and will decide whether to apply for a review after carefully analysing it.
He noted that while that process is ongoing, his personal view is that prolonged litigation often does more harm than good.
Mr Vanderpuye said he intends to speak with his former colleague involved in the case, stressing that similar legal battles in the past have dragged on for years without benefiting anyone.
He explained that extended court cases can break a person down emotionally and financially, describing them as a waste of energy, resources, and peace of mind.
In his view, it is sometimes better to let such matters go, reorganise, and prepare for the next election rather than remain locked in court battles.
Mr Vanderpuye argued that if the party does not have a strong case for a review, it should abandon the idea and focus on rebuilding.
He expressed confidence that the affected candidate is young and could benefit from public sympathy in future elections, especially if people believe he was not treated fairly.
Drawing comparisons, he noted that several politicians, including Matthew Nyindam, have lost elections before but later regrouped and returned to Parliament.
According to him, losing an election is not the end of one’s political life, and reflection and reorganisation are often necessary steps toward a comeback.
Mr Vanderpuye highlighted the personal toll the legal battle has taken on the candidate, noting that he spent a lot of money and travelled extensively in search of support during the by election period.
He added that the psychological impact of such prolonged cases is often overlooked, but it can be clearly seen in the behaviour and state of mind of those involved.
He stressed that the Supreme Court rarely reviews its own decisions unless there is very strong and convincing evidence.
Mr Vanderpuye pointed out that securing a review is even more difficult when the original ruling was reached by a strong majority decision.
He therefore urged the NDC to carefully weigh its options and avoid unnecessary stress, concluding that without compelling grounds, a review application would likely be a fruitless exercise.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Photos from the High-Level Event on Reparatory Justice for the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of African people, convened at the United Nations Headquarters, New York.
Delivering a powerful address, President John Dramani Mahama underscored the moral urgency of confronting historical injustices and advancing a global commitment to reparatory justice.
“The entire transatlantic slave trade was designed to deny African people their humanity,” the President stated.
Highlighting the significance of ongoing international efforts, he added:“This resolution allows us, as a global community, to collectively bear witness to the plight of the 18 million men, women, and children whose homes, communities, names, families, hopes, dreams, futures, and lives were stolen from them over the course of four centuries.”
In reaffirming the enduring truth of justice, President Mahama noted:
“Just because everybody is doing something doesn’t make it right. Slavery is wrong now, and it was wrong then. For as long as Africans have been trafficked and enslaved, there have been abolitionists who have spoken up against it.”
He further called for a deeper reflection on identity and dignity:
“We must also remember to reclaim our own humanity… when we absorb too much of the language of violence and erasure, our minds become enslaved.”
A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Beatrice Siaw, has expressed mixed views about Ghana’s current leadership, saying she admires President John Dramani Mahama but is not fully satisfied with how the country is being governed.
Speaking in an interview on Metro TV on Tuesday, she said although she belongs to the NPP, she finds it difficult to criticise the President personally.
“I admire President Mahama, so it’s hard to speak against him. But I do love my party. I am impressed with the President, not necessarily impressed with how things are going” she said.
She acknowledged that the NDC has made efforts in managing the economy and improving some key indicators. She noted that the party appears determined to prove critics wrong after previously being voted out of office.
“They are trying to do a lot of things that Ghanaians thought they couldn’t do when they were in power,” she said.
However, she was quick to add that these efforts may not necessarily translate into electoral success in the next election cycle.
When asked whether the NDC’s performance could pose a strong challenge in 2028, she said she does not believe so, although she admitted there have been some improvements in certain areas.
“In some aspects, yes,” she said when asked if she had been impressed by the government’s performance.
By: Jacob Aggrey
