Supreme Court threatens to throw out Mahama’s 2020 election petition

Former president John Dramani Mahama has until Wednesday 27 January 2021 to file his witness statements else his 2020 election petition will be struct out, the Supreme Court has warned.

Mahama’s lawyers failed to comply with the apex court’s orders to file the statements by 21 January and instead filed an application seeking to stay proceedings at the Supreme Court until his application for review of the Supreme Court’s decision on an earlier application for interrogatories has been heard.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will be forced to apply the rules including throwing out the 2020 election petition by former President John Mahama if he fails to comply.

The first respondent, the Electoral Commission, filed one witness statement in support of its case, who is Jean Mensa. The second respondent, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, by a power of attorney dated 15 January 2021 appointing Peter Mac Manu to testify on his behalf, has also filed one witness statement.

The case will be recalled Thursday 28 January 2021.

Mr. Mahama and the NDC challenged the 2020 presidential election saying it was flawed.

He maintains that neither he nor President Akufo-Addo attained a clear majority during the polls because of the omission of the Techiman South constituency from the declaration of results.

According to the EC, President Akufo-Addo garnered 51.59 percent of the votes while Mr. Mahama got 47.37 percent.

Mr. Mahama is now asking the Supreme Court to order a re-run of the presidential election for him and the incumbent.

Source: Daily Mail