Hearing of Election Petition enters day five

Proceedings on the Election Petition at the Supreme Court continued on Tuesday with a continuation of the cross examination of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the second petitioner.

Mr Tony Lithur, Counsel for President John Dramani Mahama who is first Respondent in the case, continued with the cross examination.

Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo, flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Bawumia and Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Chairman of the NPP are challenging the results of Election 2012 .

The Electoral Commission and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are the other respondents in the case.

Before the Court adjourned on Monday, Mr Lithur who had been cross examining Dr Bawumia had requested for an independent referee to undertake a full count of the number of ‘pink sheets’ tendered in evidence by the petitioners.

Both Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, counsel for the NDC and Mr James Quarshie Idun, both counsels for the Electoral Commission, supported Mr Lithur’s request for a full audit of the sheets.

They maintained that there was the need to verify the number of pink sheets in contention to ascertain whether it was 8,421 as alleged by the respondents or 11,138 as claimed by the petitioners.

Mr Philip Addison, Counsel for the petitioners, had replied that although his clients were not opposed to the audit of the pink sheets, it was necessary to go further and audit the total number of votes as well.

“We are also of the view that there should be an audit of the polling stations and the votes. For us what is important is the number of votes, not so much the number of polling stations.” he had stated.

The Court, however, over-ruled the respondents’ request for an audit of the pink sheets. Mr Justice William Atuguba, Presiding Judge, said the issue of a full count was rather premature as it did not affect the case for now.

Justice Atuguba, however, indicated that counsel for the respondents were at liberty to reapply.

Three leading members of the NPP, namely Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia and Mr Obetsebi Lamptey are praying the Court to nullify the Electoral Commission’s declaration of President John Mahama as the winner of the December 2012 election, citing violations and irregularities.

President Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the NDC are the respondents.