Our lawyers are ready to defend our victory, says NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says its lawyers are ready to defend the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in court if the NDC files a suit against the party.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) served notice it will present its petition to the court on Wednesday 30 December to challenge the outcome of Election 2020.

A member of the legal team of the largest opposition party, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, said the party has a case and will resort to the court for redress.

“We’ll go to court. We’ve made that clear. Certainly, by Wednesday, all these matters would be placed before the court,” Dafeamekpor said.

“We’re saying Electoral Commission should comply with the law. If you comply with the law and we emerge victorious that is fine. But you do not comply with the law and announce another candidate as the victor. No,” he said on news analysis programme, Newsfile, on Accra-based Joy FM.

The decision by the opposition NDC is in line with the mandated 21 days given under electoral laws for any aggrieved party in the election to file a legal challenge of the process.

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Jean Mensa on 9 December 2020 declared President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president-elect having secured 51.59% of the valid votes cast. The result of the presidential election has since been gazetted.

However, the National Democratic Congress says it cannot accept the results because it is “flawed”.

But, Evans Nimako, the director of elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in an interview with Asaase News said “the checks by the New Patriotic Party, the monitoring, the compilation of results from all the pink sheets put Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the candidate who secured more than 51% (50%+1) of the votes cast.”

He added: “Reports from foreign and local observers indicated that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo genuinely won the elections. The EC has announced the results, it has been gazetted and we think that this election has been won by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”

Nimako expressed confidence about NPP’s victory stating, “Going to court is one of the things available to the NDC, if the NPP is sued, the party will be ready to go to court to defend [itself] based on the figures recorded from the Electoral Commission (EC) coupled with the votes we have had from our projections.”

Go to court

The United States government had earlier called on the NDC to go to court to address their grievances after congratulating President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his re-election in the just ended 7 December elections.

A statement issued by the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, described the just ended presidential and parliamentary elections as “free and fair”.

The statement, however, called on aggrieved parties in the just ended polls to resolve any electoral dispute in court.

“The United States expects that any electoral disputes would be resolved through established legal channels, in keeping with Ghana’s hard-earned reputation as a shining example of democracy in the region and across the world,” the statement said.

“The U.S. government stands ready to continue our strong partnership with the government and people of Ghana to advance our shared prosperity.”

Gemma Appiah

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