President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Supreme Court of Ghana to dismiss the petition filed by the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), his running mate, as well as the party Chairman challenging the results of the 2012 general elections.
According to the President, the petition lacks merit adding that the 2012 election was free, fair and transparent.
The President’s remark was contained in a 29-paragraphed response to the petition filed by Nana Akufo-Addo and his co petitioners.
Excerpts of the President’s response to the petition stated that “the first respondent, President John Mahama shall in this case contend further or in the alternative as follows; i. Finger print verification is not the only means of verification permissible under the law in terms of Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution, failure if at all by eligible voters to undergo finger print verification as a result of the breakdown of equipment cannot be the basis of denying such voters of their constitutional right to vote.”
The response continued saying, “the first petitioner had or ought to have had polling agents at the various polling stations who were part of the prescribed voter identification process prior to voting. The said polling agents having participated in that process and having after public and transparent counting certified the results of the polling stations and all constituencies by signing without protest.”
This according to the President’s response is indicative that “the polling returns are thereby represented to the whole world that declared results accurately reflected the outcome of the election in the respective polling stations and all constituencies.”
President Mahama is therefore requesting from the petitioners the particulars of the polling stations, constituencies and regions in which “different results were strangely recorded on the declaration forms in respect of polling stations bearing the same polling station code as well as the number of votes allegedly affected at each polling station.”
The first respondent, President Mahama further stated in his response that “assuming without admitting that some polling station had the same code numbers, that fact alone will not invalidate the declared results of supervised elections in those polling stations and the votes validly cast.”
In a general response to the petition, the first respondent stated as follows; “a. That it was acknowledged by all observers, domestic as well as international that the conduct of the election had been generally free and fair as well as transparent. That the whole petition lacks merit and should be dismissed. The first respondent intends to call 4,800 witnesses.”
The NPP’s petition at the Supreme Court named the President, the Electoral Commission and the Chairman of the EC as respondents.
The NDC has also filed an application to join the NPP’s application saying the President won the elections on the party’s ticket.
Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana
