Akufo-Addo’s lawyers to file response to Mahama’s amended election petition

Lawyers of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have prepared a response to the amended election petition of the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama.

A spokesperson for President Nana Akufo-Addo’s legal team, Henry Nana Boakye said in an interview that their response is in line with a directive by the Supreme Court.

“By the natural sequence of events, once the petitioner has sought the audience of the court to make some amendments in their petition, it is only proper that the respondent also does the same by today.  The Supreme Court gave an order that if you have any response to the amended petition, you should file it today.”

He further indicated that the legal team will insist on its preliminary objection for the case to be dismissed.

“They do not have to waste the court’s time on these issues because the facts they have presented do not support their case.”

Mr. Mahama sought the amendment of his petition fraught with mistakes including, interchanging the Electoral Commission and President Akufo-Addo in one of the reliefs being sought.

His motion for an amendment was granted and his team of lawyers filed the corrected petition before the 4 PM deadline.

The court in granting the motion for amendment said the typographical errors sought to be corrected did not materially affect the substance of the case.

The case has further been adjourned to Tuesday, January 19, 2021, for pre-trial to commence.

Mr. Mahama and the NDC challenged the 2020 presidential election saying it was flawed.

Mr. Mahama maintains that neither he nor President Akufo-Addo attained a clear majority during the polls because of the omission of the Techiman South constituency from the provisional declaration of results.

According to the Electoral Commission, President Akufo-Addo garnered 51.59 percent of the votes while Mr. Mahama got 47.37 percent.

Mr. Mahama is now asking the Supreme Court to order a re-run of the presidential election for him and the incumbent.

The Supreme Court also granted a motion by Mr. Mahama for a live telecast of his election petition.

The seven-member panel of Judges hearing the petition includes Chief Justice Anin; Justices Yaw Appau, Marful Sau, Professor Ashie Kotei, Mariama Owusu, Nene Amegatcher, and Gertrude Tokonor.

Source: CNR