Election petition: Justices slam Mahama’s lawyers for not filing witness statements

Election petition: Justices slam Mahama’s lawyers for not filing witness statements

- Justices hearing the case were angry on Tuesday over the refusal of lawyers of John Mahama to file witness statements

- Mahama was expected to file the statements on January 20, but, did not

- He has therefore been ordered to do that by the close of Wednesday, January 27

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The seven-member panel hearing the ongoing 2020 election petition on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, took on John Mahama’s lawyers for not filing witness statements as ordered.

Mahama was to file witness statements and other relevant materials at the Supreme Court registry on Thursday, January 21, 2021.

Election petition: Justices slam Mahama’s lawyers for not filing witness statements
Image credit: John Dramani Mahama
Source: Facebook

The former president beseeched the Court on the day he was expected to file his witness statements to stay proceedings until the apex Court review its decision, denying him the opportunity to ask the EC his 12 questions.

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The justices of the Court were, however, angry with the conduct of the lawyers of Mahama, warning that he cannot “pick and choose” which process he can file and cannot.

“Why are you refusing to obey the orders of the court meanwhile you want us to hear your applications,” one of the justices queried.

Mahama filed a petition before the apex court to challenge the outcome of the presidential race.

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.

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He 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. Over 13 million Ghanaians voted in the Monday, December 7, 2021, election that saw him secure a second mandate.

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Authors:
Mohammed Awal avatar

Mohammed Awal Mohammed Awal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies (Journalism) at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. He has worked in print and online media with Ghanaian-based The Chronicle newspaper, Starr FM and US-based online portable, Face2faceAfrica.com. He also had brief stints with Africafeeds.