Election Petition: Court grants Mahama’s request for live telecast

President John Mahama’s request to have the proceedings of the 2020 election petition telecast live on national television has been granted by the Supreme Court.

The green light was given after the lawyers of NDC’s presidential candidate requested for it.

The petitioners believe that carrying proceedings live on television is in the interest of fairness as was done during the 2012 election petition.

The request was granted Thursday ahead of the first hearing of the election petition.

John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate is seeking a rerun of the election because he believes no candidate won the polls.

The Electoral Commission (EC) declared President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) the winner, however, Mr Mahama disagreed with the figures put out by the Chair of the Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa.

Akufo-Addo’s lawyers and that of the Electoral Commission (EC) have since filed responses to the petition.

They argue that the petition does not disclose any attack on the validity of the 2020 election.

The respondents have, therefore, served notice of an initial objection to be raised urging the apex court to dismiss the petition.

The court is expected to hear the case and give a ruling within a period of 42 days.