Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Monday December 24, 2012.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential
candidate for the just-ended election, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has notified
the Supreme Court registry of his intention to challenge the results declared
by the Electoral Commission (EC).
Nana Akufo-Addo indicated in a written letter to
the Supreme Court to avail himself of the legal opportunities available to him
for redress in the disputed electoral results.
EC Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan on December 10
called the results for President John Mahama in spite of opposition claims that
the EC needed to investigate alleged manipulation of figures before the
declaration since they suspected the results had been fixed.
According to the NPP, it had evidence that the
ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) colluded with some election officials
to fix the results in favour of President Mahama.
In spite of the protest, the EC went ahead to
gazette the results on December 11, without taking into consideration, the
protest raised by the NPP.
As a result, the NPP has been compiling what it
calls ‘hard and compelling evidence’ to prove that the EC indeed massaged the
people’s verdict for President John Mahama on December 7.
Nana Akufo-Addo in a letter he personally signed
on December 18, to the registrar of the highest court of the land, James
Mensah, and copied to Judicial Secretary Justice Alex Poku-Acheampong was
titled “Re: The Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules, 2012 (C.I 74).”
He said: “I am a citizen of Ghana and one of the
contestants in the recently concluded presidential election, in which the
Electoral Commission, through its Chairman, declared HE John Dramani Mahama as
the first-round victor in the evening of 9th December, 2012.”
“The declaration has been set down in C.I 80,
‘Declaration of President-Elect Instrument, 2012’, which was issued by the
Electoral Commission under the hand and seal of its Chairman on 10th
December, 2012 and notified in the Gazette on 11th December, 2012.”
Nana Akufo-Ado said “Both the Constitution of the
Republic in Article 64 and the Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules, 2012 (C.I 74)
in S.68 have provided a period of twenty one (21) days after the declaration of
the result for a citizen to challenge in the Supreme Court the validity of the
result, if he or she so desires, by filing a petition in the Registry of the
Supreme Court to that effect.”
He said “I intend to avail myself of these
provisions to mount such a challenge. Having regard to the upcoming Christmas
holidays, I would, therefore, be grateful if you could promptly confirm to me
that the Registry of the Supreme Court will be opened on 27th, 28th
and 31st December, 2012, which are normal working days within the
statutory period.”
“I am by a copy of this letter notifying the
Judicial Secretary of its contents.”
The Registrar, in response the next day to the NPP
candidate’s letter which was delivered by hand said, “We write to confirm that
the Registry of the Supreme Court will be opened for business on Thursday 27th
December, Friday 28th December and Monday 31st December,
2012.”
It said “These are normal working days for the
registry and the Judicial Service Administration. The Registry will be opened
for business from 8 a.m. to 4 00 p.m.”
Per the correspondence, it was clear that the
much-awaited legal tussle would commence anytime soon.
DAILY
GUIDE sources hinted that the NPP will the much
anticipated petition by the close of the week after the Christmas break with
its ‘incontrovertible evidence’.
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