Amanda Clinton: Haste in declaring Kpandai seat vacant a dangerous precedent

Private legal practitioner Amanda Clinton has warned that the haste in declaring the Kpandai seat vacant could erode the stability of Parliament and render the appeals process meaningless.

Her comments follow Parliament formally writing to the Electoral Commission (EC) to organise a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Friday, December 12, 2025, Amanda Clinton argued that a parliamentary seat should only be declared vacant after all legal processes have been fully exhausted.

“I think parliamentary deliberation really matters; vacancy follows finality, not haste,” she said.

She added that accepting an automatic vacancy without all legal issues resolved sets a dangerous precedent.

She explained that such an approach could permanently strip a Member of Parliament of their seat even while an appeal is pending, and this could lead to the collapse of parliamentary stability.

“If we accept this automatic vacancy at first instance, it means any MP can lose their seat permanently, and an appeal becomes meaningless, and parliamentary stability potentially collapses,” she added.

The rerun follows the November 24 High Court ruling ordering a new election within 30 days of declaring the Kpandai seat vacant. Matthew Nyindam has contested the ruling, asserting that the 2024 parliamentary election was conducted fairly and has vowed to participate in the rerun despite ongoing legal challenges.

The Electoral Commission received formal confirmation from the Clerk of Parliament on December 8, officially declaring the Kpandai seat vacant and setting the stage for the December 30 rerun.