The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has pleaded with its supporters to remain calm ahead of the March 4, 2021, final judgement of the Supreme Court on the 2020 Election Petition case.
This order from the NDC is coming in despite suspicions that the Supreme Court will throw out the petition which questioned the most dubious election petition declaration in the history of Ghana’s democracy.
That notwithstanding, the main opposition party in a communiqué issued by its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah today Monday, March 1, 2021, said it is hopeful that the court will “uphold and promote probity, accountability and transparency” in its judgment.
“Finally, as Ghanaians await the verdict of the Supreme Court on the election petition, NEC urges all NDC members and supporters to remain calm and resolute. It is the prayer of NEC that the Supreme Court will uphold and promote probity, accountability and transparency, and give effect to the will of the people expressed on 7th December 2020 in its judgement on the matter. The party will on its part, stop at nothing to rid the Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission of its partisan biases and prejudices, and ensure transparency and fairness in national elections,” the party said in the communiqué.
The Electoral Commissioner Jean Adukwei Mensah had on December 9, 2020, declared President Akufo Addo the winner of the 2020 Presidential elections at some 51.2% of total votes.
However, a tally of the results of all the 12 Presidential candidates in that election yielded a total of 100.3% of total valid votes. Shortly after this monumental faux pas, the Electoral Commission (EC) sought to correct the blunder and in the process exhibited a comedy of errors resulting in six different tallies for the Presidential election results.
The errors sparked serious suspicion in the bloodiest elections in Ghana, forcing the main contender, former President John Dramani Mahama to head to court with a petition to seek redress.
The main point of Mr. Mahama’s petition is that the declared winner, President Akufo Addo did not obtain the mandatory 50% plus one votes required to be declared the winner of the presidential race.
In the rather curious proceedings in court, almost all motions filed by the petitioner were thrown out by the panel of seven judges chaired by Chief Justice Anin Yeboah.
The most controversial rulings of the Supreme Court were those done in favour of the refusal of the EC boss to answer to 12 interrogatory questions that the petitioner had wished her to address in explanation of the declaration faux pas.
Also, the apex court threw out all attempts by the petitioner to get Jean Mensah to mount the witness box to testify to her suspicious blunders.
The Supreme Court is to deliver judgement on the 2020 presidential election petition on Thursday, March 4, 2021.