NDC’s calculation became basis of EC’s response – Tsatsu tells SC

Lead lawyer for the petitioner in the ongoing election petition has told the court that the changing figures of the Electoral Commission was a serious cause for concern.

Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata whiles moving a motion for inspection of official documents in the possession of the first respondent said a number that the petitioner had independently computed was quoted by the EC in their initial response to the petition.

Tsikata said the EC had so far given four different figures in respect of the official outcome of the December 7, 2020 polls. He quoted the December 9th figure which was revised the following day and yet another figure in his submission.

“And your Lordships would have noted that in our petition, we indicated that if you do the arithmetic in respect of the column where votes are attached to individual candidates, the figure that you come to is again a different figure, that is; 13,121,111.

“Even though 13,121,111 does not appear anywhere… that is a fourth figure. Your Lordships will note that in the answer of the first respondent that was filed on the 9th of January, in that answer, the first respondent now actually adopts the figure that we have calculated and for the first time the first respondent also states 13,121,111 for the total valid votes cast.,” he added.

Tsikata based the changing figures to argue why the petitioners needed to be allowed to inspect original declaration documents in possession of the first respondent.

He went along a biblical line when he alluded to their figure being a ‘rejected stone’: “So the figure that we have calculated becomes the basis for the answer. The stone which the builders rejected has now become the capstone.”

The respondents have flatly opposed the application and the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the issue.

Meanwhile, the witness for the first respondent is expected to mount the witness box today.

Source:www.ghanaweb.com