Supreme Court grants Mahama’s request to amend Petition

The Apex court has on Thursday 14th January, 2021 granted the request of Former President John Dramani Mahama to have his petition challenging the 2020 Presidential Elections amended.

Instead of asking for a re-run of the elections between the 2nd respondent and the Petitioner, the NDC candidate inadvertently asked for “second election with Petitioner and 1st Respondent…”

Mr. Mahama’s present action in court follows a petition he had filed challenging the Presidential results of the 7th December elections.

According him the votes obtained by President Nana Akufo-Addo and himself were not enough for a winner to be declared.

 “The claim that the percentage of votes obtained by the 2nd Respondent [Nana Akufo-Addo] was 51.595% [6,730,413] of the total valid votes that she distinctly stated to have been 13,434,574 was a manifest error, as votes cast for 2nd Respondent would amount to 50.098% and not the 51.595% erroneously declared,” the petition before the  court said in part.

Agreeing to the amendment, the court ordered the Petitioner to file the corrected petition by 4pm Thursday the 14th of January,2021.

It equally urged the 1st and 2nd Respondents to file their responses (if any) by the same time on Friday.

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is the 2nd Respondent was represented in Court by Mr. Peter Mac Manu, the NPP campaign manager for the election in question. The lawyers with him were Akoto Ampaw, Frank Davies, Kweku Asirifi and Yaw Oppong.

The Former President, who was in court, had Tony Lithur and Tsatsu Tsikata as lawyers.

The Electoral Commission on the other hand had Justin Amenuvor together with A.A Somuah Asamoah, Miracle Atatsi and Hope Agboado as its lawyers.

The court has slated Tuesday 19th January 2021 to start Pre-Trial Hearing of the Petition, the Chief Justice, Anim Yeboah, will preside over the election petition hearing.