To many, the man Tsatsu Tsikata is an academic and a man so much in love with the law that he passes up no single opportunity to espouse his beloved ‘law’.
To some, he is just a celebrated lawyer affiliated to the NDC, who practically worship the ground at his feet.
And to some, particularly those on the other side of Mr Tsikata’s political divide, he is just an overrated legal myth, and an ordinary ex-convict.
But to every objective Ghanaian, following the proceedings of the 2020 election petition without any political prejudice, Tsatsu is a man who has single-handedly awakened the conscience of an entire nation to stand up to a Supreme Court that has always checked people in power, and yet have mysteriously managed to avoid checking itself.
It took the 2013 election petition, which was televised on National television to afford Ghanaians the opportunity to peep through what happens in the Courts, one of Ghana’s most secret institutions.
That Petition in 2013 also afforded Ghanaians a glimpse of the enormous power wielded by our Justices as they hauled politicians before them to answer to charges of contempt.
Fast forward to 2020, with Ghanaians already somehow abreast with what happens in our courts, the 2020 election petition did not attract enough tension as it was in 2013. This is not to say that the expectations in 2020 were any lower than in 2013.
However, to any objective observer, the handling of the 2020 petition has left much to be desired.
From Judges seemingly in a hurry to dispose of the petition, to Judges overruling their own judgements in not-so-convincing decisions, it is without a doubt that the 2020 petition has generated more questions than answers.
For the avoidance of doubt, just like many Ghanaians, I am of the personal opinion that the 2020 election petition does not carry enough evidential weight as the one we saw in 2013.
Unlike the 2013 petition which sought to overturn the declaration of the EC based on so-called evidence from the face of the pink sheets, the 2020 election petition seeks to overturn the declaration of the EC based solely on the words of the EC Chair, and not so much as the results of the election.
Interestingly, despite the weakness of the petition as filed by the NDC in comparison with the ‘tobay tobay’ they did on radio and social media claiming to have won the elections outrightly, the actions of the Supreme Court has ended up delivering a verdict of moral victory for the NDC, who have been armed with a political weapon of so-called judicial bias.
Some have wondered why Tsatsu Tsikata kept filing for reviews even when he was suffering 7-0 unanimous decisions. The answer is simple. Tsikata is not an idiot; he knew very well he was going to suffer those decisions against him.
Today, because of Tsatsu’s longsuffering and perseverance, there have been a number of hitherto, cowed Ghanaian celebrities, academics and journalists rising up in criticism of the highest court of the land, a court which was almost untouchable.
This is a court which was able to restrain no less a person than Dr. Raymond Atuguba, a distinguished lawyer and academic to shelve an academic exercise he had undertaken because to these judges, it was scandalous.
The agenda was simple; throw a piece of bait to the Court and watch it choke in enthusiasm in order to satisfy a narrative that the Judiciary has been corrupted.
How else could the NDC explain to their exuberant supporters after claiming to have won the elections that NO, they actually didn’t win, but were hoping to capitalize on a slip of tongue to ask for an unmerited run-off.
Truth is, no matter the judgement of the Supreme Court, the NDC will emerge as victors, and Tsatsu Tsikata will be at the heart of it all.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com
