“Errors must not affect somebody’s presidency” – Dr. Bawumia jabs Tsatsu

In the heat of cross-examination in Day Nine of the ongoing election petition, a rather light-hearted Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia found space to jokingly jab Tsatsu Tsikata that in the calculation of election results “errors must not affect somebody’s presidency.

His comments lighted up a monotonous proceedings in which counsel for the third respondent embarked on an error-finding mission and to expose deficiencies in the petitioner’s affidavits.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, 2012 Vice-Presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had to admit on more than one occasion that some portions of his affidavits had some errors.

An exhibit shown to the court, was not “rightfully filled in” by the Commissioner of Oaths. But Dr. Bawumia said this “error” were a minor 10% of all his affidavits.

The star witness also admitted an error where there are two pink sheets from the same polling stations but were only entered once.

He also insisted that the errors were merely repetitive mistakes that would not affect the analysis.

In an attempt at sarcasm, lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata said that petitioners were as error-prone as everybody else.

It was to this that Dr. Bawumia retorted that although “there are no small errors” such mistakes should not “affect somebody’s presidency” .

Cross-examination by Tsatsu Tsikata is set to enter day three on Thursday.
The court will not sit on labour day which is celebrated as a national holiday.