NPP finally goes to court, but more suits to follow next year

The NPP will after the New Year holiday consider filing more suits to challenge some results of the parliamentary elections. Chairman of the party Jake Obestebi lamptey, dropped the hint at a press briefing today in Accra.

This will follow todays suit number J1/6/13 filed at the Supreme Court suit filed by Nana Akufu Addo, Dr. Bawmia and Jake Obestebi lamptey, of the NPP, challenging the validity of the results of the presidential election as declared by the Electoral Commission, through its Chairman, on December 9th, 2012.

Respondents in the lawsuit number J1/6/13, filed on Friday 28th December' 2012, are John Dramani Mahama president elect of the republic of Ghana and the Electoral Commission whose conduct is the subject of complain.

The NPP's running mate during the election Dr. Mahamudu Bawmia noted that in court, the plaintiffs intend to prove among other things that 620,443 over voting occurred, 456,933 people voted without verification, 208,523 polling station results were not signed by EC presiding officers, 50,278 polling centers had the same serial number and in 3,841 polling centers results written in words did not match the figures on the pink sheet.

On his part, candidate of the party Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffu Addo, indicated that the action is being taken on behalf of the more than five million people that, voted for the NPP. “In emphasizing the importance of elections, it must be pointed out that the sanctity of the ballot is and must be supreme. In an election, we cast votes, then the votes are counted, the count is collated, the results are announced and formal declarations of results are made.”

He added that the NPP's case is “on behalf of all the eleven million people who stood in line patiently on December 7th, and in some cases, also on December 8th, 2012 to cast their votes and also on behalf of all 24 million citizens and on behalf of generations yet unborn”.

He said Democracies are founded on elections and no true democrat can disregard the importance of elections and the sanctity of the ballot. He was of the opinion that most of the calculation mistakes went in favour of the NDC's John Dramani Mahama.

“We have now put our case before the court, and are also putting the case before you, the people of Ghana. We leave it for the court to judge the merits. But once again, the NPP, through the petitioners in this case, is seeking to deepen our democracy by strengthening the institutions that are mandated by our Constitution to superintend the electoral process: (1) by ensuring that the Electoral Commission is accountable to the people of Ghana, and (2) the Supreme Court is seen by all as the ultimate arbiter of electoral grievances and disputes.”, he said.

The third plaintiff Jake Obestebi lamptey, told the media, the party has collected over 90% of the blue sheets issued to pollen agents after counting ballots at the polling centers.