The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpandai, Matthew Nyindam, has disclosed that his relationship with his opponent, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, has remained strictly professional over the past five years, though he holds no grudges against him.

During an exclusive interview on JoyNews’ AM Show, Mr Nyindam explained that their formal relationship is due to his opponent’s aggressive nature.

According to him, they have maintained a professional distance due to their opposing party affiliations, although they both hail from the Kpandai area.

“The kind of politics he does and has brought to Kpandai is different. He’s given everybody a hell in Kpandai. Not me alone. Even within the NDC, he has caused a lot of problems. The NDC parliamentary candidate, have you had a conversation with him? No. For five years now, I’ve never spoken to him. Throughout the campaign and throughout this battle, I’ve not said a word to him. We are all coming from Kpandai. We are brothers. That’s how I see him but we don’t have that kind of friendship. His chairman, his secretary, and other party executives, we are good,” he added.

Matthew Nyindam and Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who is affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), contested for the 2024 Kpandai Parliamentary seat in 2024. Matthew Nyindam was declared the winner after the contest but Daniel Nsala Wakpal submitted a petition to the Tamale High Court challenging the results of the 2024 parliamentary election in the constituency months after the election.

According to him, the Kpandai parliamentary election was marred by irregularities in the voting and collation processes. He argued that Pink Sheets from many polling stations were not accurate or consistent.

He stated: “The parliamentary election held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December 2024 was not conducted in compliance with Regulations 39 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (CI 127) and the principles laid down by Regulations 39, and that the said non-compliance affected the results of the elections.

“The declaration and publication of the parliamentary election results held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December 2024 were not made in compliance with Regulations 43 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I 127) and the principles laid down by Regulations 43, and that the said non-compliance affected the entire results of the parliamentary elections in the Kpandai constituency.”

However, Mathew Nyindam argued that “The Parliamentary Election Petition filed by the 1st Interested Party on 25th January 2025, in respect of the Parliamentary Election held at the Kpandai Constituency on 7th December 2024, was invalid and could not have properly invoked the jurisdiction of the High Court, Commercial Division, Tamale.”

In response to the petition, the Tamale High Court declared the Kpandai parliamentary election conducted in 2024 invalid on Monday, November 24. As a result, His Lordship Emmanuel Brew Plange directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a new poll in the constituency within 30 days.

But, the Supreme Court on Tuesday, December 16, ordered that the parliamentary rerun election in the area, which was scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, be suspended until further notice. Defending its decision, the Supreme Court noted the High Court’s ruling was contrary to the law that guides how parliamentary election petitions should be handled.

Despite the High Court directing a re-run of the election, Matthew Nyindam insisted that he and his team did not engage in any wrongdoing and are prepared to face the re-run.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, December 9, he noted, “I am so fine because I am not troubled. We’ve not cheated in this particular election. What I’ve realised is that there is a government that is so strong, and whatever they want to do, they will want to do it. They don’t care whether you are right or you are wrong.”

The legal team of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate Matthew Nyindam was also directed by the Supreme Court to follow due process in serving the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal.