Akufo-Addo has a right to change his mind - Dr. Ampaw

President of the Legal Advisory Foundation, Dr. Maurice Ampaw, has said the 1st petitioner in the just ended election petition, Nana Akufo-Addo, could be sidelined in the decision to seek a review if the other petitioners wanted to do so.

Nana Akufo-Addo, in what appears to be a solo move, declared the intentions of the NPP not to seek a judicial review hours after the judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court on August 29.

There have been speculations that top executives of the party are unhappy with the decision not to seek a review and have gone ahead to set up a 3 member committee to study the judgment and advice the National Executive Committee over whether or not to seek a review.

Speaking on Joy News Current Affairs program PM Express, Dr. Maurice Ampaw said; even though Nana Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate for the NPP has come out with his stand on the possible review, since there were three petitioners who filed the case, any one of them can choose to pursue a review with the full support of the party.

He also stated that Nana Addo’s decision not to go for a review may have been made out of pressure or without a clear understanding of the verdict given by the supreme court judges; and he's confident, Nana Addo will not change his mind. But if he does change his mind, Dr. Ampaw said Nana Addo would certainly be within his legal rights.

“What the party can do is to allow Nana that peace of mind, he is the one who went to court and there is so much pressure on him, so Nana go and sit down. Now let’s look at the judgement and if we think review will help then Jake can go.” he said.

Former Attorney General Ayikoi Otoo, who joined in by phone, said; if reasons had been given clearly by the judges to the people of Ghana and the parties involved in the election petition, it would have prevented the need for a review

“I would have preferred, but at least we would hope each judge will give his opinion of the way he sees the case, some of the reasons why he is voting either for or against the petition and that the leaders will then take it from there and try to explain to their people why maybe there will be no need for any review”

He, however, was of the view that, it will be difficult and a shame for any of the petitioners to seek a review since they all seemed in support of the decision by Nana Addo on the day of the election verdict.

“When he called on his people to rally behind the president and congratulate him (the President), and how do you now turn run to say that 'I no longer accept the verdict and that now I am going to seek for a review?'. It’s very very embarrassing.”

Both lawyers, however ,agreed that, the supreme court judges were not fair to Ghanaians and other well wishers as no appreciation was shown for their patience and support through the eight months of trial.