The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the decision by the retired Chief Justice of the land, Her Lady Georgina Theodora Wood, to broadcast live the 2012 Election Petition case contributed immensely to his victory in the 2016 general elections.

According to the President, the decision uncovered most of the loopholes in the country’s electoral system and raised awareness about the need for greater vigilance amongst supporters and sympathizers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that resulted in the party’s victory in the 2016 Parliamentary and Presidential elections.

“Her [Retired Justice Georgina Theodora Wood] decision to broadcast proceedings of the celebrated election petition for which I was plaintiff together with the Vice President and our late lamented colleague, Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey, was an important moment in our country’s political evolution. It exposed the vagaries of our electoral system and compelled greater vigilance on the part of activist of my party which undoubtedly helped us to achieve the famous victory in December 2016. So madam you can see my presence here as the President of the Republic is an unintended consequence of your decision and I have every reason to be grateful to you,” noted President Akufo-Addo.

President Akufo-Addo made this observation when he addressed a State dinner in honour of the retired Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood at the State Banquet Hall in Accra on Friday.

Judicial Scandal

The President was full of praise for the former Chief Justice for the way and manner in which she handled the bribery scandal that rocked the Judiciary when she was in office.

The Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces described the expose as the former Chief Justice’s greatest crisis. Nonetheless, she confronted it methodically and thereby restored the confidence of Ghanaians in Judiciary.

Debt of gratitude

The President observed that it was important as a country to recognize and acknowledge exceptional service to the nation. Having served as the first female and longest serving Chief Justice of the Republic, the country owes the retired Justice Georgina Wood a debt of gratitude for her service, the President noted.