NDC files petition to contest 2020 elections, Mahama to give an address tonight

Kandey Alhassan December 30, 2020 0

John Dramani Mahama

 In order to contest the outcome of the December 7 elections, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has filed its long-awaited petition.

The petition was filed at 12 noon, the party said on Wednesday, December 30, in a statement.

It was filed by his lawyers on behalf of former President John Dramani Mahama.

The statement issued by NDC’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said: “The Petition was filed pursuant to the party‘s audit of the 2020 Presidential results and extensive consultations with the National Executive Committee and Council of Elders of the party. “The Petition details serious violations of the 1992 Constitution by the Electoral Commission and its Chairperson and Returning Officer for the Presidential Election, Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa in the conduct of their constitutional and legal responsibilities.

“It seeks among others, a declaration from the Supreme Court to the effect that, the purported declaration of the results of the 2020 Presidential Election on the 9th day of December 2020 is unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

John Dramani Mahama will address the nation at 8:00pm concerning the petition. The NDC rejected the election results the day after they were announced by the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC). Mrs Mensa had announced incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as winner of the polls with 6,730,587 votes, representing 51.3 percent. At the press conference to express his dissent to the results declared, Mr Mahama described Mrs Mensa’s actions as an illegality, then announcing his intention to take the legal course, aside other action, to reverse the declaration.

“On account of this, my party is confident that what has happened is a violation of the law. It is a violation of due process and, therefore, tantamount to an illegality.

“It is also a violation of an understanding we hold dear in this country, an understanding that this is not dictatorship or a monarchy run by a single family for the benefit of a family.

“Ghana belongs to the people of Ghana, all of the people of Ghana.”

Supporters of the party, prior to the legal action, have staged numerous demonstrations across the nation to register their repugnance to the outcome of the elections.