The National Democratic Congress is expected to file a suit at the Supreme Court today, December 30, 2020, over the outcome of the 2020 Presidential polls.
This is after the National Executive Council of the party gave its approval for the party to challenge the result announced and gazetted by Electoral Commission.
However, Article 64(1) of the Constitution provides that “the validity of the election of the President may be challenged only by a citizen of Ghana who may present a petition for the purpose to the Supreme Court within twenty-one days after the declaration of the result of the election in respect of which the petition is presented”.
This article as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the Election Manual “envisages that a petition, challenging the validity of the election of the president, may be commenced by the person who had been declared by the electoral commission as the losing presidential candidate. In other words, the election may be challenged only by the person who alleges that he was the winner at the election”.
Paul Adom-Otchere, the host of Good Evening Ghana has deduced this to mean that only John Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress can petition the Supreme Court over the result.
If that be the case, the NDC as party will unlike the 2012 Election petition be left out of the proceedings with the former president expected to face cross-examination.
Adom-Otchere is, however, not sure John Mahama and the NDC will allow that to happen and thus will challenge the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 64(1).
Source: Ghanaweb
