2020 election petition: SC judge 'clashes' with Tsatsu Tsikata over Jean Mensa’s personality
- A Supreme Judge has criticised Tsatsa Tsikata for mentioning Jean Mensa’s name too many time
- The judge said the panel would be happy if he sticks to EC chairperson or just EC
- Tsikata, however, said he is constitutionally right to mention her name
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The Supreme Court has slammed Tsatsu Tsikata, the lead counsel for John Mahama in the 2020 election petition over his continuous mentioning of the name of the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa.
One of the judges, on the seven-member panel hearing the case, Nene Abayateye Ofoe Amegatcher, was forced to call Tsikata to order.
The judge said the panel would be happy if Tsikata would just mention the EC chairperson or the EC when making reference to Mensa.
Source: Facebook
In view of the judge, the EC boss is not responsible for everything that happens at the commission, and that she has deputies who step in when she is not around.
According to the judge, Tsikata is targeting Mensa’s personality by constantly referring to her by name.
Tsikata, however, disagreed.
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He said in his response that Mensa is the returning officer of the presidential election, according to the constitution and it is impossible not to mention her directly, given her role as the returning officer.
He insisted that he is only following the constitution by mentioning her, rejecting the suggestion that he is targeting her personality.
John Mahama, the flagbearer of the NDC in the election on Wednesday, December 30, 2020, filed a petition before the Supreme Court to challenge the outcome of the presidential race.
According to the former president, the election was rigged in favour of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Akufo-Addo defeated Mahama in the election to secure another four-year term; collecting 51.302% of the votes cast against the latter’s 47.359%.
The votes difference between the two candidates stood at 517, 231, representing a four percentage point, one of the highest since 1996.
Mahama wants a rerun of the election between him and Akufo-Addo, stating that there was no winner contrary to the outcome declared by the Electoral Commission.
President Akufo-Addo rejected Mahama’s assertion that the presidential race should have gone to a runoff.
Speaking to the leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, January 14, 2021, he maintained that the party won the race hands down.
Over 13 million Ghanaians voted in the Monday, December 7, 2021, election that saw him secure a second mandate.
In his views, the petition challenging his victory was nothing but “noise”.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
