President John Mahama has said the decision by his arch political opponent, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to resort to the courts to challenge the 2012 presidential results will strengthen, rather than put Ghana’s democracy in danger.

President Mahama told the visiting Asanteman Council, led by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Flagstaff House on Friday May 17, 2013 that: “People think the nation is being buffeted by some uncertain as a result of this court case; I do think that it strengthens our democracy”.

He said: “…Even though we had a dispute or somebody contests the results of the election, he has decided to go to Court and we are giving the Court the opportunity to listen to his grievance to find out whether it is genuine or not, and I think that it goes to strengthen our democracy that Ghana continues to show the way in terms of good governance and democracy and constitutional rule of law”.

President Mahama is the first respondent in the petition.

The Electoral Commission (EC) and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) are the second and third respondents respectively.

The three Petitioners, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), his running mate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the main opposition NPP’s National Chairman Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey are praying the court to nullify the EC’s declaration of President Mahama as winner of the 2012 elections.

They claim the elections were fraught with irregularities, violations and malpractices which cannot be overlooked.