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Opinions of Friday, 21 June 2013

Columnist: FKK

Counsel for the petitioners is “clueless”

It looks as if the supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been hypnotized by some leading members of the party. If not, they should have realized by now that, the case been persued at the Supreme Court by their leaders is much ado about nothing. In fact, I have followed the court proceedings from day one, although I am not in the country. I have listened to all the proceedings on radio, on daily basis as well as watched the videos of all daily proceedings on YouTube, and have come to the realization that, the petitioners are just wasting the precious time of Ghanaians with their useless and baseless petition.
Nonetheless, I would like to narrow down to the cross examination of the witness for the second respondent, Dr Kwadjo Afari Gyan by the petitioners. As a matter of fact, I do not know how to describe the arrogance of Mr. Philip Addison, the lead counsel for the petitioners. Instead of Mr. Addison to prove the so called irregularities, malpractices, omissions, etc the petitioners claimed to have occurred in the 2012 elections, he is rather accusing Dr. Afari Gyan and the Electoral Commission of causing financial lose to the state. Who is Mr. Addison to determine who causes financial lose to the state? Is causing financial lose to the state an irregularity, omission or a malpractice? Mr. Philip Addison and the entire counsel for the petitioners are as “CLUELESS” as Dr. Bawumia, their star witness.
So far, counsel for the petitioners have not been able to prove or produced a single irregularity or malpractice which can overturn the results of the 2012 elections. All that the lead counsel for the petitioners has done, is to attack personalities and argue unnecessarily with the judges on the bench.
I am tempted to believe that, counsel for the petitioners do not understand or have deliberately refused to understand the laid down procedures and rules given by the justices of the Supreme Court concerning the case. From my lay man point of view, my understanding was that, “Did the so called irregularities, malpractices and omissions, etc claimed by the petitions had any or direct effect on the declaration of the results?”
In as much as Dr. Afari Gyan admitted that, there were irregularities, omissions and transposition errors committed by presiding offers, none of these affected results declared. Because those errors happened in the accounting section of the declaration form and not the actual count of ballots and declaration of results at the polling station which all the polling agents attested to and certified.
One thing that baffles me is that, counsel for the petitioners has not been able to prove that, votes belonging to Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo was reduced and/or added to the votes of President John Dramani Mahama, or votes have been transposed or swiped among the two candidates. In furtherance, I wonder how temper proof bags or envelopes or numbering on pink sheets could be considered as an irregularity by the petitioners. What has the temper proof bags whether numbered or not as well as numbers on the pink sheets got to do with the declaration of the results? This is absolutely folly. I think it is high time the supporters of NPP woke up from their slumber and tell their leaders, enough of this false hope, and rather redirect their energies towards the 2016 elections.
I perfectly agree with the Deputy Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Kofi Adams on his assertion that, “It is easier to reverse the flow of the Volta Lake than the NPP winning the court case”. In other words, it can only take the NPP to win the election petition case, if it can redirect the flow of the Volta Lake.
My Lords, on this note, I will respectfully say that, counsel for the petitioners is “CLUELESS” and therefore their case is useless and baseless. Thank you.