The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned ruling to Tuesday, February 5, 2013 following an amendment from the petitioners namely: Nana Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); his running mate Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey.
Peace FM’s Bernard Quanson who was at the court reported that a an application from the petitioners were demanding the voters register of Ghanaians abroad who were qualified and registered to vote in the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections from the Electoral Commission, and President Mahama’s application for petitioners to provide specific names,code numbers among other things of 4,709 polling stations in dispute so far.
However, Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, lead counsel of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) described the request for a preliminary application of voters register from the petitioners as an ‘abuse of court processes’.
According to him the petition raised no issue about processes of registration,let alone, any issue of Ghanaians who voted outside the country.
He said an election Petition hearing in a Supreme Court is not a Research Project where the Supreme Court will be made to fish out for information through interlocutory applications.
He therefore requested the Supreme Court not to grant their request.
The petitioners namely: Nana Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); his running mate Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey amended their petition with the claim that they have new evidence pointing to the fact that irregularities occurred in 11,916 polling stations unlike a former claim of 4,709.
The petitioners filed a petition to the Supreme Court on 28th December, 2012 challenging the results of the 2012 general election which declared President John Dramani Mahama, the then flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), winner.
The Court, sitting on the case on Tuesday 29th January, 2013 heard arguments from lead Counsel of the Petitioners, Phillip Addison, Counsel for the Electoral Commission (EC), James Quarshie Aidan, Counsel for President John D. Mahama, Mr Tony Lithur and Counsel for the NDC, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata.
The motion brought before the Supreme Court required the EC to explain a difference of 200,000 votes the petitioners claim was added to the voters register.
The EC thus explained that the 200,000 votes in question came from Ghanaians with various commitments abroad.