Lawyers of NDC’s Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama are requesting a live broadcast of the hearing of the petition contesting the results of the 2020 general elections in the Supreme Court.
This according to the petitioners is in the interest of fairness as was done during the 2012 election petition.
Per Rule 69C (4) of C.I. 99, provision is made for the proceedings of the court to be transmitted live if the court so determines, and 4(a)(b) and (b) provides for the dismissal of a petition where the petitioner fails to file the processes regarding the petition within the time specified by law or to hear and determine the petition where the respondents fail to file their answers or fail to file their processes regarding their answer within the specified time.
Earlier, Mr. Mahama through his lawyers filed an application asking permission from the Supreme Court to correct mistakes in his petition.
Mr. Mahama is in the Apex court seeking to set aside the election results in which the NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo was declared President.
He alleges that Mr. Akufo-Addo and all other candidates who contested in the polls did not obtain more than 50% of the votes cast.
But shortly after filing the petition, legal analysts spotted mistakes in it to the effect that the petitioner, Mr Mahama asked the Apex Court to order a re-run of the elections between himself and the Electoral Commission instead of Mr. Akufo-Addo.
Mr. Mahama’s lawyer Tony Lithur has subsequently filed a motion serving notice to amend the petition to make this correction.
This Apex court will be informed of this request on Thursday, January 14, 2020 when the court holds the first hearing of the case.