Opinions of Friday, 7 June 2013

Columnist: Tweneboah-Koduah, Nana Akua

Dr Afari Gyan Exposes NPP’s Duplicity

By Nana Akua Tweneboah-Koduah

The duplicity of the NPP throughout the election petition case before the Supreme Court (SC) was amply played out by Dr Afari Gyan during his cross-examination by Mr Tsatsu Tsikata on Wednesday June 5.

This came to light when Mr Tsikata asked Dr Afari Gyan what he would do if the SC calls for the cancelation of results in areas that the presiding officers did not sign the pink sheets.

Dr Afari Gyan did not mince words in replying that, “We will not do selective application of the law”. In fact, what Dr Afari Gyan wanted to tell the court was that assuming if the SC decides to annul the results in areas that the presiding officers did not sign the pink sheets; he was of the view that the law should be applied across board. The cancellation of the results should not only be concentrated in the selective polling stations that NPP brought to court.

Dr Afari Gyan believes that it would be a travesty of justice if only the results of unsigned pink sheets in areas won by President Mahama are annulled leaving the areas won by Nana Akufo-Addo intact.

He was therefore of the view that assuming if the SC wants to be fair to all parties involved in the case, it would be appropriate for all the 26,002 polling stations to be scaled through and not be done on selective basis as exhibited by the NPP.

It would be recalled that the NPP rushed to court with a litany of allegations one of which was the unsigned pink sheets by the presiding officers. But whilst the NPP is calling the SC to annul the results in areas won by President Mahama where the pink sheets were not signed by the presiding officers, they have done everything possible to shield the areas won by Nana Akufo-Addo with the same kind of problems.

Even though Dr Afari Gyan stated emphatically on Tuesday June 4 during his cross-examination by his counsel, Mr James Quarshie-Idun, that if polling agents sign the pink sheets and for one reason or the other the presiding officers failed to sign, it does not invalidate the results at those polling stations.

But I strongly guess that Mr Tsikata asked that question concerning the unsigned pink sheets to demonstrate to the court the dubious activity of the NPP who claimed that they scaled through 24,000 pink sheets but saw nothing wrong in any of the polling stations won by the NPP except in areas won by the NDC.

You could smell the law of equity being played out by Mr Tsikata when he put that question concerning the pink sheets to Dr Afari Gyan. Mr Tsikata wanted to draw the attention of the justices to the fact that the NPP went to equity with unclean hands. They went to equity with the view of hurting over 4 million voters in areas won by President Mahama whilst they deliberately shielded the areas won by Nana Akufo-Addo from review.

Did you not see how Mr Philip Addison have tried and won in each case anytime the respondents want to take a deep dive into the NPP territory? Mr Addison have fought as a tiger in each stead and won with the backing of the justices.

Now with the International Community watching, the tricks that have been adopted by the NPP to win this case at all cost are gradually being exposed much to their chagrin.

nakuakoduah@yahoo.com