The flagbearer of the People’s National Convention(PNC) for the 2012 general election, Hassan Ayariga, has opposed the assessment made by the General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, that the petitioners have wasted everybody’s time with the 2012 election petition.

Though the 2012 election petition lasted for 8 months, Mr. Ayariga is of the strong conviction that the case has strengthened democracy and the rule of law in the country; but quickly confessed that there is without a doubt that the 8 months of battling the legitimacy of President John Mahama has taken the country backwards in its development.

Speaking in an interview on Hot FM, he said that there are two sides to the 2012 election litigation; in that “we have lost development and we have on the other hand gained some sense of understanding of the rule of law”.

“Aside that, it has given the Presidency a high level of respect now than before, there are many people who were bastardizing the Presidency and if the issue has not been to court, the doubt would not have been cleared,” Mr. Ayariga pinpointed.

He further said that based on the ruling of the 2012 election petition, the Presidency has regained its respect and honour; in that in this standpoint, the “petitioners have not wasted our time going court”.

He, however, established that it was not wrong for the petitioners to challenge the 2012 presidential election results; adding that it does not also make the petitioners right or wrong in that trend but rather their (petitioners’) action has strengthened the course of democracy in the country.

He, therefore, said that Ghanaians must understand the concept of democracy and that going to court is part of that process in order to ensure that rule of law is adhered to in the country.