Mahama: Courts can’t make you President

President John Mahama says last year’s Supreme Court ruling, which certified his presidency and dismissed a petition to annul same, shows that political parties or individuals cannot ascend the presidency via the judiciary if the people have not ceded their right to legitimise such leadership.

“Sovereignty springs from the people and sovereignty resides in the people”, Mahama said.

In reference to the first year anniversary of the verdict on last year’s election petition, Mahama wrote on his Facebook page that the August 29, 2013 ruling, which upheld his victory, contrary to prayers by the petitioner to annul same, demonstrated that the legitimacy of a President resided in the people.

“The Supreme Court judgment on the election petition underscored the fact that you cannot get from the courts what you did not get from the people”, he wrote.

The three petitioners – the New Patriotic Party’s 2012 presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, together with his two-time Running Mate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Chairman at the time, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey – argued in court, through their lawyers that the 2012 polls were fraught with irregularities, which marred the integrity of the results.

However, the nine-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Respondents after a long-drawn hearing.

The Court however asked the Electoral Commission to institute certain reforms toward ensuring that future elections did not attract similar criticisms.