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General News of Friday, 25 January 2013

Source: The Informer

"Sir John" Lampoons NPP Legal Team

In The Matter Of Supreme Court Ruling…

Says They are Feeble & Inexperienced

The Chief scribe of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie (Sir John),has confided in friends that his fear that the legal team of the NPP was weak and made up of unproven legal-brains has been confirmed.
He told close associates that, the NPP’s case was weak and that they needed better lawyers to try and fight their case. Mr. Owusu-Afriyie, himself a lawyer, said he knew that Ms. Gloria Akuffo will be no match and cannot stand the legal prowess of NDC’s Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata; and that, yesterday’s ruling proved it all.
“In fact, Sir John, as he is affectionately called, was very disappointed about Ms Gloria Akuffo and her team, for the disgrace brought onto the party, and has indicated to join the team to argue out the substantive case at the Supreme court”, one of the General Secretary’s aide has told the Informer.
According to the aide, his boss (Sir John) indicated that he is a lawyer of repute and can best serve the interest of the party at this crucial moment that the party is seeking to over-turn the verdict of the Electoral Commission (EC) with regards to the December 7/8 Presidential elections.
Below is the Supreme Court ruling, granting the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in its petition to be joined to the motion filed by the NPP, as reported by Joy Online
Supreme Court grants NDC Joinder Application
The Supreme Court has granted by a 6 - 3 majority decision, the joinder motion brought by the governing National Democratic Congress, seeking to be joined to the election petition filed by the opposition New Patriotic Party.

The nine-member panel, last week heard arguments from the lead counsel for the NDC, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, who insisted the governing party offered President John Mahama the platform to contest for the presidency and was thus, an interested party whose interest would be injured if it was not allowed to join the petition as a respondent.

Counsel for the petitioners - Nana Akufo-Addo (Presidential candidate of the NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (running-mate to Akufo-Addo), and NPP Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, who are challenging the declaration of President Mahama as winner of the December elections, opposed the motion.

Lead counsel, Phillip Addison told the court that the NDC had no legal basis to be seeking to join the petition.

But the NDC's argument prevailed.

The Supreme Court, presided over by Justice William Atuguba, granted the application, thus agreeing with Mr. Tsikata.

This ruling paves the way for the substantive matter in which the petitioners are alleging fraud in last year's polls to be heard.