General News of Friday, 24 May 2013

Source: GNA

Petitioners case is dead on arrival – Kofi Adams

Deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) says his only motivation for going to court is to sympathize with petitioners challenging the legitimacy of President John Dramani Mahama in court.

He maintained that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has no case but is just wasting everybody's time to serve their partisan political interest.

"When I go to court I will either sleep or occupy a seat just to show solidarity because the petitioners have no case" he added.

Kofi Adams was speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday.

The NPP filed the petition at the Supreme Court citing massive irregularities they claimed marred the entire election.

The petitioners led by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has presented their evidence to the court to corroborate their claims.

It has been 21 days since the substantive hearing of the case began and witness for the respondents, Johnson Asiedu Nketia today opened his defense when he mounted the witness box.

He has challenged the petitioners on their claims stating emphatically that there were no irregularities in the 2012 elections.

In support, Kofi Adams on Ekosii Sen said the petitioners have poisoned the atmosphere because they know defeat stirs them in the face.

He contended that the NPP has brainwashed their members to believe that the court will rule in their favour, hence is doing everything to achieve it.

Kofi Adams noted that so far the petitioners have not been able to prove on the face of the pink sheets that Nana Akufo-Addo’s votes were deducted and added to the John Mahama’s votes during the elections.

"The petitioners are not being truthful to Ghanaians; he who comes with equity must come with clean hands. Their hands are not clean" he bemoaned.

The NDC man could not fathom why the NPP had polling agents at all polling stations and yet it claims the elections were rigged.

"If your agent’s signature means nothing why are you insisting that if a presiding officer did not sign it is an irregularity".

He cautioned the NPP not to delude themselves into thinking that the court would overturn the verdict of the Electoral Commission (EC) in their favour.

Kofi Adams said, the only positive thing about the election petition is the changes it might bring to the country’s electoral system.