Election petition: ‘We are prepared, ready for the long haul’ – Marietta
Former President John Mahama’s legal team has said it is well-prepared for the ongoing election petition at the Supreme Court and ready to see it through till the very end.
A spokesperson for the petitioner, Marietta Appiah-Oppong, made this statement on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, after the apex court, by unanimous decision, declined a request by Mr. Mahama to be allowed to inspect the original documents of the Electoral Commission concerning the results of the 2020 presidential polls, which he is challenging in court.
“We came to court prepared, we are ready to continue with the case and we will go through with the case till the very end,” she stated.
The EC, according to Mrs. Appiah-Opong, is supposed to be an impartial part of the 2020 polls and, as such, she wonders why the election management body resisted Mr. Mahama’s request for the original pink sheets and collation forms for inspection.
“What do they have to hide? What prejudice would be occasioned to them if they produced the document for us to see? Now whatsoever”, she said.
She added: “If you conducted your activities as EC Chair fairly, transparently, impartially, why will you not produce the documents for us to see?”
The court, in a unanimous decision, declined the request.
The panel of Justices, after arguments from Mr. Mahama’s lead counsel Tsatsu Tsikata and counter-arguments from the lead counsel of the first and second respondents, respectively, ruled that the former President had not demonstrated the amount of necessity needed to grant such a request.
The presidential candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), filed the application on Tuesday.