SONA: The court has spoken, it is time for us to move on - Akufo-Addo
-Akufo-Addo has asked Ghanaians to be united and develop the nation
- He said there is no need to continue politicking after the court upheld his victory in the 2020 elections
-The court upheld his victory last week
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed his uncompromising commitment Tuesday to strengthening the institutions of Ghana’s democracy and managing public resources with integrity.
According to him, his administration does not shy away from “public scrutiny.” “Far from it. That is not the NPP way,” he stated.
Source: Facebook
The president made the statement when he delivered the State of the Nation Address pursuant to Article 67 of the Constitution.
The address on the State of the Nation came days after the Supreme Court upheld his electoral victory in the December 7, 2020, general elections.
Touching on the Supreme Court’s affirmation of his 2020 electoral triumph over former President John Dramani Mahama, President Akufo-Addo expressed excitement in the unanimity of the court’s decision.
He said: “Not 5:4, Not 5:4, unanimous. Mr Speaker, the court has spoken and it is time for all of us to move on and in a united manner to confront the problems of post-COVID-19 Ghana.”
The seven-member panel in the just ended 2020 election petition trial last Thursday said it cannot order a rerun of the 2020 presidential polls.
The panel held that the petitioner in the case failed to adduce “cogent evidence” to back his claims that there was no winner in the December 7, 2020, presidential elections.
Akufo-Addo defeated Mahama in the said 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.
The Chief Justice said in delivering the judgment of the panel that from the cross-examination of Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the petitioner’s first witness, there was no doubt that President Akufo-Addo had more than 50% of the total valid votes.
He said the submission that there was no winner in the election does not find favour before the court. The panel dismissed the petitioner, saying: “We have, therefore, no reason to order a re-run of the 2020 elections.”
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