It's not in my witness statement that Mahama told the world he won the polls – Nketia to court

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, on Friday January 29 told the court that he did not mention in his witness statement that after the 2020 elections the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama told the whole world at a press conference that he won the elections.

This was after lead counsel for the 2^nd respondent, Akoto Ampaw, put it to him while under cross-examination that, soon after the results were announced, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held series of press conferences led by the petitioner to tell the world that he had won the polls.

After Mr Ampaw had said that to him, he retorted “My Lords that is not in my witness statement.”

During an earlier cross examination by lawyer for the 1st Respondent, the Electoral Commission (EC) on the same day, Mr Asiedu Nketia requested a calculator to enable him add figures to make his case.

He was accordingly, given the calculator by the court amidst laughter by some perosn in the Supreme Court room.

The petitioner, Mr John Dramani Mahama had picked him and another member of the NDC Mr Michael Kpessah-Whyte to testify in the case.

Mr Nketia had told the court in his witness statement that there has never been any election in which the 1st Respondent, the Electoral Commission (EC) has admitted a catalogue of errors than in the 2020 presidential elections.

He said that “In no previous Presidential Election in the Fourth Republic in Ghana has there been such a catalogue of admitted errors as in what happened after the 7th December 2020 Presidential elections.

“In all previous Presidential Elections, results collated at each constituency collation centre were transmitted directly by fax from 1st Respondent’s regional offices (without collation), to what is usually referred to as the ‘strongroom’ at its head office in Accra, and handed over to the representatives of the candidates, for them to scrutinize and then certify.

“In those previous Presidential Elections, when 1st Respondent declared the final results, they were based on the collated results from the constituencies which were duly certified by representatives of the candidates in the strong room.”

By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana