Lawyer, Samson Lardi Anyenini has described the change in arguments made by the flagbearer of the NDC prior to submitting his election petition at the Supreme Court today as a “dramatic shift”.
Following the National Democratic Congress’ unwillingness to accept the results of the elections as declared by the Electoral Commission on December 10, the NDC submitted their election petition to the Supreme Court today, December 30.
Prior to the submission, the NDC had claimed that their candidate, former President Mahama had won the elections and as such should be declared president-elect.
However, going by his petition today, Mr Mahama states that neither candidate won the election but rather, the votes obtained by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, President Nana Akufo-Addo and himself in the December 7, election as declared by the EC Chair were not enough to declare the winner.
“The claim that percentage of votes obtained by the 2nd Respondent [Nana Akufo-Addo] was 51.595% [6,730,413] of the total valid votes that she distinctly stated to have been 13,434,574 was a manifest error, as votes cast for 2nd Respondent would amount to 50.098% and not the 51.595% erroneously declared.”
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Commenting on the former President’s address at a press conference this evening, Lawyer Samson Anyenini indicated that owing to the fact that the details of the petition will be subjected to the scrutiny of the highest order by the Apex Court, it was essential that former President Mahama present a case that will survive superior argument.
Speaking to Israel Laryea on Joy News Prime, Mr Anyenini stated: “They’ve been talking about some of the evidence they have. They talk about [vote] padding and so on and so forth. That is their story and at this time, it is still their story. It will now go through the mill. It will be tested; tested in cross-examination tested in superior argument.
“If their evidence and argumentations survive the test of judicial scrutiny, then they will win. But if the opponents bring a superior argument it is also possible that they will not win”.
He continued: “We have heard words like ‘stolen verdict’, we have heard expressions like fictionalized and fraud those may not sit within the present suit, but when you hear claims that by the NDC’s own computation, [former] president Mahama had secured a win and that he ought to have been declared a winner.
“Then you read the petition and it says President Mahama did not win, Akuffo-Addo did not win because neither made nor crossed the threshold of more than 50% of total valid votes therefore there ought to be a runoff. That is a dramatic shift from what you see in the court.”