Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor, Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP, has robustly defended the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the ongoing Kpandai parliamentary election dispute, insisting that the party filed its petition well within the legally prescribed period. Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Dafeamekpor directly countered claims by NPP MP Mathew Nyindam, who argues before the Supreme Court that the High Court lacked jurisdiction due to alleged late filing.

Dafeamekpor emphasized that the petition relied solely on the Electoral Commission’s (EC) final Gazette notification, not earlier administrative releases. “We were within time. We know our calculation, our maths is not that bad,” he declared, highlighting the NDC’s meticulous adherence to legal deadlines.

The South Dayi MP explained that as of January 24, the EC had yet to finalize its work for constituencies with contested results, meaning a consolidated Gazette covering all 276 parliamentary seats had not been issued. Only this final Gazette carries full legal weight, a principle confirmed when an earlier December 24 publication was rejected in court.

“Even if the EC releases several Gazette notifications, the last in time will take precedence over all the previous. That is the law,” Dafeamekpor reiterated, underlining the NDC’s legal position. The EC itself confirmed in court that the document relied upon by the petitioners was indeed the official final Gazette notification.

The Kpandai dispute follows the High Court in Tamale annulling Nyindam’s 2024 parliamentary win and ordering a rerun. Nyindam now seeks to overturn that decision, citing alleged late filing of the petition. However, Dafeamekpor maintains that the High Court acted fully within its jurisdiction, as the NDC’s petition was filed based on the only Gazette with proper legal authority, reinforcing the party’s confidence in the procedural legitimacy of its challenge.