It is not “politically correct” to go for review – Ayikoi Otoo

The chairman of the committee set up by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to review the Supreme Court verdict on the 2012 presidential election petition, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, doubts the possibility of the party to seek review.

According to Ayikoi Otoo, it is not “politically correct” for the party to go for review after the first petitioner and the party’s presidential candidate in 2012 elections, Nana Akufo-Addo, graciously accepted the verdict and said he will not seek review.

The Supreme Court by a majority decision on Thursday, August 29, 2013, affirmed John Dramani Mahama as the validly elected president in the 2012 elections.

This was after Nana Akufo-Addo and two others filed an application in court to challenge his [Mahama’s] presidency.

The petitioners who had alleged massive irregularities in the election prayed the court to annul about four million votes, which would have resulted in the first petitioner [Akufo-Addo] being declared winner of the elections.

But the nine-member panel after months of litigation dismissed the petition.

The NPP after the verdict set up a three-member committee made of former Attorney-Generals in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Joe Ghartey and Ayikoi Otoo to review the judgment and advise the party accordingly.

One of the committee’s core mandates is to decide whether the NPP should seek review or not.

However, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Ayikoi Otoo stated emphatically that a review will be “impracticable”.

“Nana Akufo-Addo goes out to say something and he is commended by all kinds of people including the Secretary General of the United Nations [Ban Ki Moon] for bringing peace to this country and you tell us to turn round and go and say we are seeking review. Do you think it will be politically correct?” he quizzed.

Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice added that the committee might come out with its final report next week.