Lawyers for former President John Dramani Mahama have filed a fresh process at the Supreme Court seeking leave to amend earlier processes in the 2020 presidential election petition.

The new application was filed at the Supreme Court at 2:30pm on Monday, January 25, 2021.

The Supreme Court is due to hear the 2020 presidential election petition filed by Mr Mahama on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

Ahead of the appearance in court Tuesday, Mr Mahama’s legal team filed another application at 2:30pm Monday seeking to further amend earlier processes.

The lead counsel for Mr Mahama, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata also intends to file and or argue an additional ground for his application for review filed on January 20, 2021.

One of the spokespersons for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo [2nd respondent] in the case, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who is also the Minister of Information designate thinks that “The effect is to occasion further delays in dealing with the five issues in the substantive matter. Its very unfortunate,” he tweeted.

Source: Graphic.Com

Lawyers for the Electoral Commission (EC) in the election petition are in support of the hearing of the review of the ruling on interrogatories to be brought forward from Thursday, January 28, 2021, to Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

Their stance is in support of a similar motion by the petitioner in the case, John Mahama.

In a motion signed by Justin Amenuvor, the lead lawyer for the EC, he said the sole reason for the notice of abridgement of time for the application for review is to “facilitate an expeditious trial.”

“That the abridgement of time is necessary for a speedy determination of the motion on notice for review and any further orders this Honourable Court may deem fit,” he argued.

“In the circumstances, I respectfully pray that in the interest of justice and speedy determination of This matter, and in line with the timelines of CI 99 the hearing date for the motion on notice for review be abridged to the 26th January 2021 subject to the convenience of the Court.”

The interrogatories from the National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Mahama, wanted answers to 12 questions as part of the pre-trial process.

But both the lawyers for the EC and President Akufo-Addo opposed the application.

They argued that John Mahama and his legal team were using the “back door” to seek further information from the EC that was not captured in their petition.

Mr. Akoto Ampaw, the lawyer for the President, further described the application as a “fishing expedition”.

The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision then dismissed the application prompting the motion for review.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com

The Governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP), United States (US) Chapter in Cincinnati Ohio have cautioned Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to stay behind and allow Mr Allan John Kwadwo Kyerematen to lead the party in 2024 general elections.

According to the US Chapter led by Mr Owusu Afriyie, the incumbent trade and industry minister has demonstrated his commitment to the party for far too long and has also being a qualified Presidential material of the party for more than two decades, therefore, he deserves to lead NPP after President Akufo-Addo’s exit.

Mr Allan John Kwadwo Kyerematen contested Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2007, capturing 32.3% of votes cast and became the first runner-up to the current president who gained 47.96% of votes cast. Allan made other attempts at the party’s leadership in 2010 and 2014 but placed second to Akufo-Addo, who won the primaries.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on the other hand, was a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana until his nomination as the vice-presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2008, standing alongside presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. He also ran as the NPP vice-presidential candidate in 2012, 2016 and 2020 general elections and was the lead witness for the petitioners in the 2012/2013 Presidential Election Petition which challenged the declaration of John Mahama as the winner of the election.

Mr Owusu Afriyie told Soiree News 24 (SN24) reporter Joseph Marfo in a phone interview that the NPP has its own method of selecting its flagbearer, that is the first-come-first-serve approach. For this reason, Dr Bawumia and his faction should soberly back off and allow Allan Kwadwo Kyerematen to lead the party in 2024 just as he Allan did to Nana Addo.

A lot of NPP supporters a few days after the 2020 victory have started calling out their favourite candidates to lead the party. A couple of days ago the Ashanti Regional Council of Zongo Chiefs and some other Concerned Members of NPP stated that Dr Bawumia must be given the mandate by Party executives to lead the party in 2024.

They argued that Dr Bawumia’s unflinching support for NPP aided the party to garner more votes in the five northern regions in the 2020 general election, making him the best presidential material for 2024 polls.

However, the Patron for NPP US Chapter believes that undoubtedly, it is Allan’s turn, “he (Allan) has no competitor because he has served the party more than Bawumia or any other supposed Presidential material”.

“It’s not your turn Mr Bawumia, exercise patience and throw your support to Allan to lead us in 2024, your turn will come but for now you and your supporters should allow Allan to go”, Mr Owusu Afriyie suggested.

He further stated that, even if Bawumia does not stepdown for Allan but decides to contest him in Primaries, Dr Bawumia will not even get one-third of NPP delegates votes.

“Bawumia doesn’t come close to Allan in terms of personality. Even if he (Bawumia) contest Allan, he will not even get one-third of NPP delegates votes”.

Mr Owusu Afriyie disclosed that there is allegedly an agreement between Nana Addo and Allan which suggest that he will take over the NPP’s flagbearership after Akufo-Addo’s exit, therefore, Dr Bawumia and his faction should not underestimate it since it could bring divisions within the party, “meanwhile those divisions will deeply hurt the party’s glory in 2024”.

Source: SoireeNews