Presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 general election John Dramani Mahama has filed a fresh application at the Supreme Court, seeking permission to inspect some documents of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The application filed yesterday by his lawyer Tony Lithur before the hearing of the ongoing election petition.
Former President Mahama filed the petition at the Supreme Court with claims that no presidential candidate won the 2020 polls and that the apex court should order a re-run between him and President Nana Akufo-Addo who was declared the winner of that election.
Yesterday, Mr Mahama through lawyer, filed the application after an earlier one on January 20, 2021.
In the earlier application, he requested the EC to provide some six documents including constituency presidential election results summary sheets to his legal team for inspection.
The former President also wanted to be allowed to make copies of the said documents.
However, the EC did not grant the request and this has compelled the petitioner to file the new application asking the court to order the EC to comply.
As part of the demands in the new application, Mr Mahama is demanding the originals of the constituency presidential election result collation forms (form 9) for all constituencies, the originals of all constituency presidential election results summary sheet (form 10), and the originals of the regional presidential election collation forms (form 11) for all regions.
Again, the former president is asking for the originals of the regional presidential election results summary sheets (form 12) for all regions and the original of the declaration of the presidential results form (form 13).
Furthermore, the petitioner is asking for the records of the alleged update to the “purported declaration” of presidential election results on 9th December 2020, of the results of four (4) constituencies in the Greater Accra Region.
At the close of proceedings yesterday, Tsatsu Tsikata, lead lawyer for Mr Mahama, notified the court about the new application.
Consequently, seven-member panel of Judges hearing the petition including Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah; Justices Yaw Appau, Samuel Marful-Sau, Professor Ashie Kotei, Mariama Owusu, Nene Amegatcher, and Gertrude Torkornoo gave the lawyers for the 1st and 2nd Respondents till the close of day yesterday to file their response to the application. The application is expected to be determined today and hopefully pave way for the Chairperson of the 1st respondent, Mrs Jean Mensa to take the witness box to be cross-examined by Mr Tsikata.
