Election petition: John Mahama files closing address today, March 4 set as judgement day
- The former president rejected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election
- He then petitioned the Supreme Court to have it annulled
- According to him, there was no winner in the election
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John Dramani Mahama will file his closing address on arguments in the ongoing election petition through his lawyers by the close of today, Tuesday, 23rd February 2021.
The Supreme Court ordered lawyers for the parties in the trial to file their written addresses on Thursday, 11th February 2021 simultaneously on or before Wednesday, 17th February 2021.
Source: Facebook
The court then adjourned the petition to Thursday, 18th February, for counsel to highlight the written addresses for the petition to be adjourned for judgement.
The former president, however, did not file his written statement because he filed an application asking the court to review its rejection of his request to reopen his case.
The former president now has until the close of today to file his closing address. It follows the dismissal of his application for review after the court rejected the motion to reopen his case.
Mahama wants to reopen his case to subpoena the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, into the witness box for cross-examination.
But, the court dismissed that application.
The lawyers for the former president led by Tsatsu Tsikata disagreed with the court’s ruling and applied for a review.
A nine-member panel of Supreme Court Judges, however unanimously affirmed the ruling by the seven-member panel hearing the case.
Reading the ruling of the panel, the Chief Justice, Justice Anin Yeboah, said no provision in the constitution or statute shows that the EC boss can be subjected to different rules contrary to established rules of procedure and settled practice.
The EC boss, he said is not a party to the suit, and therefore, whether or not to testify was not her decision but that of the commission.
“The review jurisdiction was not intended as a try on by a party after losing an appeal…nor is it an automatic misstep from appeal neither is it meant to resort to as an emotional reaction to an unfortunate or unfavourable judgement,” he stated.
The Court has set Thursday, March 4 as judgment day for the election petition case.
The NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama petitioned the Supreme Court to order a second round of the December 7, election.
According to him, the votes obtained by NPP’s candidate, President Nana Akufo-Addo, and himself in the December 7, election as declared by the EC Chair were not enough for a candidate to be declared the winner.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
