The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is accusing the ruling NDC of deliberately stalling its petition at the Supreme Court, by filing a joinder motion which the party believes is legally flawed.
The Supreme Court on Thursday January 10 indefinitely adjourned a hearing of the preliminary joinder motion filed by the NDC, to join President John Dramani Mahama as respondents, in an NPP petition challenging the 2012 election results.
The adjournment was precipitated by an NPP objection, which argued that the composition of the panel of Justices, in particular, the chairmanship of Justice William Atuguba, is skewed against the party.
However, speaking on JOY NEWS Current Affairs Program, pm:EXPRESS, NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie also known as Sir John, says the NDC is deliberately doing this to delay the process.
According to the supplementary affidavit, the NDC had represented its interest, that of its presidential candidate and parliamentary candidates “in the deliberations of the Electoral Commission (EC) with all political parties and candidates in connection with the elections” and, for that reason, the party had the right to be joined to the petition.
But Sir John has opposed their idea saying, “those who can petition are not political parties or corporate bodies but rather individuals, Ghanaians who feel aggrieved and are likely to be affected by such electoral issues that is why president Mahama as a candidate was made a respondent”.
According to him, if the NDC wants to assist in whatever way they can, in the preparation of John Mahama’s response to the petition, they have every right to do so, but they do not need to join formally before assisting in the process.
He told Host, Samson Lardi Ayenini, that when Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey became the third petitioner, he did not do so because he was a party chairman but rather because he was a citizen of Ghana.
But Dr. Nicholas Amponsah a senior lecturer in political science who joined the discussion, overruled the NPP’s argument saying, anyone chosen to sit on the case, is linked to a faction, in one way or the other.
He stressed that, people have made a decision and power has been given which must be used effectively.
That power, he said, can be taken if the person does not use it well.