Go explain to your supporters why statistics you earlier claimed were in your favour have been abandoned in court — Buaben Asamoah to Petitioner

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of peddling falsehood following the accusation that Information Minister-Designate Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has incited the Supreme Court against Dr. Dominic Ayine.

Dr. Dominic Ayine in a recent statement noted that the Supreme Court has not done the people of this country a great service when it ruled against a motion filed by the petitioner in the ongoing election petition hearing to have EC boss Jean Mensa mount the witness box.

Reacting to those comments subsequently, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah shared that the ranking member of Mahama’s legal team was being unfair to the judicial system and also described the accusation against the Court of having a predetermined agenda as scandalous of the court.

Unhappy with those comments from the spokesperson for the 2nd Respondent’s legal team, the NDC in a press release on Thursday blasted Kojo Oppong Nkrumah over what they said are attempts to incite the Supreme Court against Dr. Ayine for contempt.

Hitting back at the NDC today, the NPP has issued a press release jabbing the main opposition party for spreading lies.

“The claim that Hon. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah Esq. and Henry Nana Boakye Esq. seek to incite the SC against Dr. Dominic Ayine is a blatant falsehood that must be rejected by Ghanaians,” part of a press release from the NPP signed by Director of Communications Yaw Buaben Asamoa reads.

The release adds, “The suggestion that the lawyers and spokespersons of the 2nd Respondent have been attacking, insulting and belittling the lead counsel of the petitioner is a plain falsehood, mischievously crafted to solicit public sympathy for the legal team of the Petitioner to conceal their poor performance, evident from the dismissals almost every major motion/application they have filed has suffered thus far.”

Meanwhile, the NPP has urged the NDC team to .

“We also admonish them to desist from misinforming the public on developments in court and also refrain from their penchant to create a false impression that the court is biased against them,” the NPP press release adds.

Find below the full press release from the NPP:

19th February 2021

Press Release

RE: ATTEMPTS BY KOJO OPPONG NKRUMAH AND HENRY NANA BOAKYE TO INCITE THE SUPREME COURT AGAINST NDC LAWYERS

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken notice of a press release from the NDC that seeks to create the false impression that the Supreme Court is being “INCITED” to cite Dr. Dominic Ayine for contempt and also the lead counsel of the petitioner has been subjected to attacks by Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Esq. and Henry Nana Boakye Esq.

The NPP takes strong exception to the plain lies therein and without a shred of equivocation, state:

1. It is an affront to the apex court of the land for the NDC to suggest that the venerable, experienced and learned Justices of the Supreme Court (SC) who, over time, have demonstrated to be independent and objective, are amenable to “INCITEMENT” by spokespersons of the 2nd Respondent.

2. The claim that Hon. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah Esq. and Henry Nana Boakye Esq. seek to incite the SC against Dr Dominic Ayine is a blatant falsehood that must be rejected by Ghanaians.

3. The unfortunate comments from Dr Dominic Ayine that: “for the Supreme Court to reduce the Petition into a single-issue petition is rather unfortunate and smacks of a predetermined agenda to rule against the ‘petitioner in this matter...we think that the court by this decision has not done the people of this country a great service. In the sense that Ghanaians are interested in knowing the truth...the Justices, today, have not given us a reason to believe that they want the people of this country to know the truth about what happened”, were voluntarily uttered by Dr Ayine and he is solely responsible for its consequences.

4. Dr Ayine has, in the past, been warned by the court for his conduct aimed at disparaging the Supreme Court.

5. The suggestion that the lawyers and spokespersons of the 2nd Respondent have been attacking, insulting and belittling the lead counsel of the petitioner is a plain falsehood, mischievously crafted to solicit public sympathy for the legal team of the Petitioner to conceal their poor performance, evident from the dismissals almost every major motion/application they have filed has suffered thus far.

6. The regrettable attitude of the lead counsel of the petitioner toward the bench has been a matter of public outrage and it is not correct to suggest that it is the lawyers or spokespersons of the 2nd Respondent that have made a case out of it.

7. It is utterly shocking for the National Communications Officer of the NDC, who, over the years, have persistently insulted and disrespected President Akufo-Addo – someone whose legal and political achievements, the former may never be able to attain in his entire life – to lament and suggest that the spokespersons of the 2nd Respondent ought to show deference to seniors at the Bar, when, in actual fact, there hasn’t been any act of disrespect on the part of the 2nd Respondent's team toward the Petitioner's lawyers or spokespersons.

8. We encourage the NDC team to focus on explaining to their supporters why the statistics they earlier claimed were in their favour have been abandoned in court.

9. We also admonish them to desist from misinforming the public on developments in court and also refrain from their penchant to create a false impression that the court is biased against them.

10. The Spokespersons for the 2nd Respondent's legal team will remain forthright and continuously inform the public on the truth about developments in court and not hesitate to respond adequately to the NDC propaganda.

Thank you

Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Esq.

(Director of Communications, NPP)