Election Petition: SC Dismissing Our Leave To Ask EC Questions Doesn't Add Up - Mahama’s Legal Team

Deputy Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Legal Affairs, Hon. Baba Jamal says the legal team of former President John Dramani Mahama is in disagreement with the ruling of the Supreme Court to dismiss its leave to ask the Electoral Commission 12 questions.

The Supreme Court, has by a unanimous decision, dismissed an application by lawyers for former President John Dramani Mahama for leave to serve interrogatories for certain answers from the Electoral Commission (EC) with regard to the presidential election petition.

Mr Mahama’s lawyers were seeking permission from the Supreme Court to allow him ask 12 questions that borders on how the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa, arrived at the figures she used in declaring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the winner of the 2020 presidential poll.

It was one of two legal processes the petitioner was expected to file on Monday. The second process was a request to admit facts, wherein the petitioner wants the EC to either admit or deny certain “facts” with regard to what ensued on December 9, 2020; the day Mrs Mensa, who is the returning officer for the presidential poll, declared Akufo-Addo as the President-elect.

Reacting to the ruling of the Supreme Court on the leave of Mr Mahama’s lawyers, the former Member of Parliament for Akwatia Constituency said on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show that even though the Apex Court of the land has spoken, the legal team disagrees with the decision of the Court.

He explained that the reason for the Supreme Court to dismiss the leave of the lawyers of Mr John Mahama to ask the Electoral Commissioner some questions does not make sense to the legal team representing former President Mahama.

“Let me explain that what happened, even though the Supreme Court has spoken, we disagree with them because the bases upon which they dismissed our leave to ask the EC some questions are not bases that we think make sense”, he posited.

He added that the Supreme Court describing the permission sought by the legal team of Mr John Mahama as irrelevant and also could delay the start of the actual case does not add up because the question of finding out from the EC when it realised that there was a mistake in the figures is relevant in the petition of Mr John Mahama.

Is it not relevant to the petition of Mr John Mahama to find out from the EC when it realised that there was a mistake in the declaration of the Presidential Election on the 9th December 2020?”, he quizzed.

“But whatever it is, the Supreme Court has spoken and even if you don’t agree, you have to accept its ruling. So, the Supreme Court has given its ruling on our petition but we disagree with their decision”, he opposed.