Live telecast exposes NPP

Even though some Ghanaians prior to the hearing of the ongoing election petition opposed the live telecast for some genuine and compelling reasons, it is gradually turning out that the live telecast is the best thing that has ever happened to Ghana in the quest of consolidating its young democracy and judicial process.

While the live telecast in some sense may be considered as a nice golden trophy ordained by God to help wean Ghanaians from the “the professional spin doctors” who have made it an article of faith to twist anything coming from the Supreme Court by painting their cases in bright colours, it would, nonetheless, help in preparing the minds of the likely victors and vanquished, even before the Justices deliver their verdict.

The live telecast will also avert the likelihood of Ghana joining the league of other African countries that have suffered post electoral violence, since Ghanaians, and even those in the Diaspora always observe live proceedings of all the happenings in court.

Owing from this, the live telecast has afforded Ghanaians the opportunity to witness the transparency of the process, the independence of the judiciary, the firm but fairness of the justices and the conduciveness of the court atmosphere; to the extent that none of the parties in the case so far, have had cause to complain.

Though it is becoming clear from the court proceedings so far, courtesy the live telecast, that the petitioner’s charges of widespread malpractices, vote padding and deduction to rob Nana Akufo-Addo, the 2012 presidential candidate of the NPP of victory died on arrival, spin doctors of the elephant fraternity have set out a jamboree for their supporters with naked propaganda.

Interestingly, the party that went to town describing the president as a thief and the chairman of the EC, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan as a devil who have brought to an end the childhood dream of somebody destined to be president “at all cost,” an allegation that led to the birth of a militant group ‘Let My Vote Count Alliance’, the party is yet to prove a single case of electoral malpractice in court.

Instructively, the star witness of the petitioners, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in the process of his cross-examination by counsel for the first respondent, Tony Lithur, exonerated the president of any wrong doing insofar as the election petition is concerned, an admission that runs counter to the petitioners earlier stands.

As if that was not enough, counsel for the petitioners in a subtle manner seems to have also abandoned his clients earlier allegations of widespread malpractices, vote padding and deduction, and is now clutching on electoral irregularities as a basis to convince the Justices of the highest court of the land to; in the worst case scenario, order a re-run of the 2012 elections which saw President John Mahama declared the winner by the Chairman of the EC, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.

The alleged irregularities that the petitioners are now banging their hopes and running a legal marathon race with is considered by many fine legal brains as a dead life wire that cannot yield the kind of dividends they are looking for.

In the face of the plethora of lack of evidence, party propagandist in their quest to high up the hopes of their supporters and sympathizers, have seized the opportunity of disappointment to deliberately distort proceedings from the court to score despicable political points.

The NPP, through its General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, has to a large extent succeeded in running a parallel trial of their case in the media to the one being sought in the Supreme Court, to the extent that party propagandist and apologist are lined up every day on radio and television stations to paint an inspiring picture of their hollow case.

Bearing in mind the specific allegations made by leading members of the party, including the three petitioners, many right thinking members of society and those in the diaspora have on several occasions questioned why the NPP have not been able to prove its initial charges of vote of padding and deduction at constituencies like Ledzokuku, Tano South, Tamale Central and many others.

For now, the behavior of the NPP is akin to a man married with two wives who tells each of them different stories on a particular happening just to stay clean and look good in the eyes of both of them.

The live telecast has not just exposed the propaganda prowess of the NPP; it has also offered the Justices of the Supreme Court to be fair and firm with the rules of the court, to the extent the Justices have not failed in cautioning counsel for both petitioners and respondents when they flout the rules of the court.