It’s obvious petitioner’s worry is the error in the verbal announcement by EC – Oppong Nkrumah

Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has indicated that proceedings from the Supreme Court in the ongoing hearing of the election petition filed by the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), show that the petitioner’s main worry is the error in the verbal announcement by the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa.

In a tweet after proceedings in court on Monday February 1, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said “@NAkufoAddo’s legal team finished cross exam of witness Johnson Asiedu Nketia today. It is obvious that the petitioner’s main worry is the error in the verbal announcement by EC chair.”

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah further said that claims by Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia that he never said Mr John Mahama won last year’s elections, is shocking.

First witness for the petitioner in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition has stated in the Supreme Court that he never said the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama, won the 2020 Presidential Elections.

During cross-examination, the witness was confronted with video evidence where he was addressing an NDC press conference after the December 7 elections. The witness admitted to saying the NDC won majority of the seats in Parliament, but denied he declared John Mahama winner in any of the press conferences he addressed before and after the 1st Respondent Electoral Commission’s declaration of the presidential results on December 9.

According to Mr. Nketia, he only expressed expectations that the petitioner would win the elections based on his knowledge of the dynamics of elections in Ghana over the years.

“Every evidence was pointing at president Mahama’s victory and in fact, My Lords, permit me, in all the 7 parliamentary and presidential elections that have been held in this country before this one the presidential candidate and the political party which wins and controls parliament ends up winning the presidency”, he explained.

Counsel for the 2nd Respondent Akufo-Addo, Lawyer Akoto Ampaw insisted that the words of the witness during the press conferences suggested that the petitioner won the presidential elections.

“You claim in one of your statements that you won the elections in all the polling stations all over the country so I’m putting it to you that when you mad the statement that the petitioner had won the election, it presupposed you had the polling station pick sheets”, he queried.

But Mr. Nketia retorted, “My Lord, I indicated that I never said that the petitioner had won the elections”.

He also confirmed to the court that there was no mention of the petitioner winning the election in the petition.

Reacting to this development, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said in a tweet that “It was shocking to hear him say he didn’t bring his collated results to court, when he had earlier caused scores to hit the streets claiming he had figures to show that Mr Mahama won.”

He added “@NAkufoAddo’s legal team finished cross exam of witness Johnson Asiedu Nketia today. It is obvious that the petitioner’s main worry is the error in the verbal announcement by EC chair.”

By Laud Nartey|editors.3news.com|Ghana