'Mahama’s prediction will have no effect on court ruling'

Abdul Malik Kwaku Baaku Jr said on Newsfile Saturday that criticisms by members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding President Mahama’s prediction that he will emerge triumphant in the ongoing election petition case are unnecessary.

According to him, although coming from a president it understandably caused some stir among supporters of the petitioners, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey he is certain there is nothing wrong with the comments.

President Mahama said at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) headquarters last Monday, that NDC’s victory was won “cleanly and fairly," and he has no doubt the Supreme Court will confirm his legitimacy in their ruling.

These comments caused some discomfort among stalwarts of the NPP. A statement signed by Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, NPP General Secretary, said President Mahama should stop making further statements calculated to put undue pressure on the court to rule in his favour.

But Kwaku Baako said he has heard similar win-predictions for the NPP by the same people who are criticising the president, and so their criticisms were unwarranted.

Speaking on the same issue, Nana Ato Dadzie, a member of the NDC legal team said the president made the remarks at a gathering where party supporters were his audience, so he could not see why it has become a big issue.

Nana Ato Dadzie also said the president has said on several occasions that he will respect the ruling of the Supreme Court, claiming that was a more significant comment than one he made to his supporters.