Election petition hearing taught me lessons – Philip Addison

Lead counsel for the petitioners in the 2012 election petition case, Philip Addison, has said the 8-month-long trial thought him that the only place to win electoral power is at the polling station and not the court. According to him, the verdict by the court which affirmed the legitimacy of President John Mahama in spite of the "strength of the petitioners’ case" underscores his believe.

“So far as I can say, the petition has awaken the electorates to what goes on at the polling station so we all have come to realize that elections are won or lost at the polling station and I think that is lesson we have all learnt,” he told Accra-based Adom FM.

The commercial lawyer led the about 10-member legal team that represented the petitioners in the landmark trial.

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 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.

Friday, August 29, 2014, was exactly a year since the matter was adjudged.