The 2020 election petition is living up to its dramatic expectations as the counsel for the flagbearer of NDC, John Dramani Mahama, clashed with a Supreme Court judge.
The legal blows between Mr Tsikata and a Supreme Court Judge, Nene Amegatcher, begun when he posed questions he claimed were key to discovering the ‘errors’ committed by the EC.
According to Mr Tsikata, the interrogatories were critical as it would help the apex court determine the authenticity of the results that saw the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, emerging as the winner of the 2020 polls.
But presenting the list of questions on Tuesday, Mr Tsikata made reference to the Electoral Commission Chairperson rather than the office that conducted the polls.
That did not sit well with Justice Nene Amegatcher.
The apex court judge insisted that the questions should be directed to the office of the Chairperson and not come across as a personal attack on Mrs Mensah.
Here are the exchanges in court. Tsatsu Tsikata (TT) and Nene Amegatcher (NA).
NA: Why wouldn’t you limit your references to the office rather than the personality. It seems to me that your attack is with the personality and not the office so we will be. We will be happy if you just limit it to the office and not the EC because in her absence any of her deputies could step in.
NA: let’s leave it at that, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and not her person
TS: But my Lord, she is the Chairperson and she has a name, or I am not allowed to mention the name of the Chairperson
NA: The question should be to the office
TS: I want to understand I am being prohibited from mentioning the name of the Chairperson, is that the issue?
NA: Reading through your petition which makes constant emphasis on the name, what I am telling you is that we will be satisfied with the designation because in her absence any of her deputies could act in that position
TS: My Lord…
NA: So, it is an election petition and you are challenging the election, it is sufficient that the institution charged with the conducting that election had done their work and the Chairperson who is the head represent that institution and not the personality
TT: With the greatest respect, I believe that the constitutional requirement regarding the returning officer and the particular circumstances do not make it possible step in for the Chairperson, it cannot be like you are envisaging.
Interrogatories
Mr Mahama is seeking permission from the Supreme Court to allow him to elicit answers that border on how the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa, arrived at the figures she used in declaring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the winner of the 2020 presidential poll.
The EC is to answer if the National Communications Authority played any role or facilitated in any way, the transmission of the election results to the headquarters of the EC”
How did Mrs Mensa get to realise there were errors in figures she had announced in her declaration on December 9?
More soon…
Source: stories.6chcdn