General News of Tuesday, 5 January 2021

Source: 3news.com

NDC’s petition: NPP exhibiting holier-than-thou attitude – Ayine

Bolgatanga East lawmaker, Dominic Ayine Bolgatanga East lawmaker, Dominic Ayine

Bolgatanga East lawmaker, Dominic Ayine, has criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over their commentary on the election petition filed by the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama.

The former Deputy Attorney General under the Mahama administration said the NPP are exhibiting the holier-than-thou attitude following their criticisms of the petition.

His comments come after Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada Nii Ayikoi Otoo asked the NDC and their Presidential Candidate to apologize to Ghanaians over the petition.

Mr Mahama on Wednesday, December 30 filed the petition at the apex court which seeks, among other things, a rerun of the presidential elections, asking the Court for an order to restrain Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Second Respondent, from holding himself out as President-elect.

The former Deputy Attorney General under the Mahama administration said the NPP are exhibiting the holier-than-thou attitude following their criticisms of the petition.

He refused to accept the results of the elections because in his view the figures were tampered with by the Chair of the Commission in favour of President Akufo-Addo.

He further said Mrs Mensa and the other commissioners should have resigned by now following what he described as a blemished election that they conducted on December 7.

But Mr Ayikoi Otoo who is also a former Attorney General under the Kufuor administration told host of the Key Points Abena Tabi on TV3 Saturday, January 2 that “The idea that was fed out to the public was that somebody has done something wrong and that we have won the presidential and parliamentary but if you read the petition there is a clear request for a rerun which is based upon the fact that constitutionally nobody crossed the 50+1.

“That is a different ball game altogether compared with what we were hearing before the petition was filed.

“You should be bold to say that ‘I won the election, this person did not win the election but their style is different.”

He added “After the petition was filed and when we read it we saw that what they have done up to that stage was not what they told us initially. So, first, apologize that you erred and let us move on.”

Responding to his comments on the same show, a former Deputy Attorney General under the Mahama administration, Dr Dominic Ayine said “Sometimes when the NPP is in government they become very sanctimonious. They preach to those of us who are not in government about how to behave ourselves.

“But senior (Ayikoi Otoo) was there in 2012. What happened at Obra spot?. They basically called people to arms. The late Sir John called the supporters to wear white and go out and celebrate the victory of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”