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The Supreme Court of West Africa’s most successful democracy, Ghana, has ruled that the country’s sitting President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was validly elected in the election held on December 7, 2020.
Chief Justice, Anin Yeboah who presided over a petition against the election of Nana Akufo-Addo brought before the Supreme Court by the candidate of the main opposition political party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the election, John Dramani Mahama upheld the declaration made by the Chairperson, Jean Adukwei Mensah.
The petition was heard by seven justices of the Supreme Court with the Chief Justice as the presiding judge.
Nana Addo won a second term in office after beating his main competitor and former President, John Dramani Mahama and ten other contestants.
He won the 2020 polls after winning majority votes in nine out sixteen regions in the country touted as the beacon of peace in the West African sub-region.
He polled a total of 6,730,413 representing 51.59% while his main competitor and former President, John Mahama polled 6,214,889 representing 47.36%.
This declaration, Mr Mahama had argued in his petition was not accurate as according to him, the Chairperson of the country’s Election regulatory body later through an unsigned press release presented different figures which showed that none of the candidates in the election won more than fifty plus to be declared winner.
He had argued that the figure given as the valid votes cast was wrong and hence calculations made with that as the figure showed that none of the candidates obtained the constitutionally required 50% plus one votes to be made winner.
But the Supreme Court after a two months trial ruled that the witnesses presented by Mr Mahama did not offer enough evidence to prove that the EC erred in declaring Akufo-Addo president.
The court further ruled that the Chairperson person of the EC had the right to correct the figures she put out as the figure for the valid votes cast.
The court through the ruling had earlier struck out a prayer by the EC and NPP for the case to be thrown away for lack of evidence.
More to follow
