The flagbearer of the NDC in the 2020 elections, John Dramani Mahama, has indicated that for anyone who followed the proceedings of the 2020 Election Petition, they would not be surprised at the final verdict of the court.
A seven-member panel headed by Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, ruled on March 4, 2021, after two months of hearing the case brought to it by petitioner, John Mahama, that he did not advance a strong enough case to merit its decision for a re-run of the presidential elections.
In the concluding words of the Chief Justice, after delivering a more than two-hours long verdict, he said, “Your petition is dismissed without merit.”
Speaking for the first time publicly after the declaration, John Dramani Mahama opined that it comes as no surprise that the Supreme Court panel dismissed their petition.
What was Mahama seeking from the Supreme Court?
The petitioner, Mr. Mahama, was seeking a rerun of the December 7, 2020 elections between himself and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because he believed both leading candidates did not obtain 50 per cent of the valid votes as required.
His petition was based on the results declared by Jean Mensa, the Electoral Commission Chairperson on 9 December 2020.
John Dramani Mahama was also seeking the following reliefs in his petition:
1. A declaration that EC Chair Jean Mensah’s declaration of the election results on December 9, 2020, was in breach of Article 63 (3) of the 1992 constitution.
2. That based on the data contained in the declaration, no candidate satisfied the requirement of the stated Article, to be declared President-elect.
3. A declaration that the declaration was unconstitutional, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever
4. An order annulling the Declaration of President-Elect Instrument 2020 (C.I. 135) dated 9th December 2020, issued under the hand of the EC Chair.
5. An order of injunction restraining Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from holding himself out as President-elect;
6. An order of mandatory injunction directing the EC to conduct a re-run of the election with he (Mahama) and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as candidates.
