Calm down Tsatsu, Addison - Sam Okudzeto cautions

A former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Sam Okudzeto has advised the lead counsel for the third respondent, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata and the counsel for petitioners in the ongoing election petition, Mr. Philip Addison to restrain themselves and work hard to show the good face of the legal profession.

According to him, the tension between the two lawyers is very high but it is imperative that they put their differences aside and put up the kind of behaviour expected of members of the bar in such high standing.

Tempers have flared up on a number of occasions between lawyers and sometimes the judges at the ongoing petition challenging the results of the December 2012 Presidential elections.

The former GBA President was speaking Wednesday on Adom FM's “Dea Mehunu programme”, which was also broadcast live on Asempa FM.

The legal team for the petitioners - Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey - is led by Mr Philip Addison, while the respondents – John Dramani Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – have their various counsel but appear to be led by Mr Tsatsu Tsikata.

Mr Sam Okudzeto urged the two leading legal pugilists to remain civil.

“The counsel on the other side is your learned friend, we are not in the boxing ring where you take a blow and you hit your other friend” Sam Okudzeto said.

“Just be calm and present the case and when you go out shake hands, hug each other and move along”, the former GBA cautioned both counsel.

Commenting on the performances of the Supreme Court, Sam Okudzeto said the demeanor so far of the Justices of the Supreme Court must be applauded.

He also urged Ghanaians to be patient for the International auditing firm KPMG to bring their result to show the clearer picture of the case before the court.

Sam Okudzeto said politics is not just a question of rabble rousing but an exchange of ideas on how to develop the nation thus it was wrong for persons with different political views to resort to violence in order to put their views across.

The Supreme Court will resume hearing of the petition on Monday May 20, 2013.