Akoto Ampaw, lead counsel for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to review election results collation procedures.
“I believe the EC and other stakeholders need closer review of actual processes and procedures they took in arriving at final collation of results in the 2020 elections and whether there is the need for some reforms,” Mr Akoto Ampaw stated.
In his submission at the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana) Roundtable dubbed: ‘Presidential Election Petitions and their Impact on Africa’s Democracy’ he indicated that “I can see quite clearly there may be some reforms to the Constitutional Instrument127, I can realise from experience what was brought before the Supreme Court, it had little opportunity to make any recommendations for reforms”.
Mr Ampaw pointed out that “if you have a case of this nature before the Supreme Court, and the case raised substantial issues of facts, then you expect in coming out with a judgment, the court apart from making a decision, would make recommendations based on issues of facts raised in the cause of trial.
“But honestly, I am of the view legally speaking, there was no case before the Supreme Court,” he stressed and explained that where substantive grievance was brought before the Court, even if the Court should rule against the Petitioner, the Court might realise the need to make recommendations.
Dr Dominic Ayine, a member of former President John Mahama’s Legal Team in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, in a rebuttal, noted that even a Justice of the Supreme Court, who was part of the panel of judges that sat on the case, stated there was reasonable cause of action in the case brought before the Court.
Professor Kwesi Prempeh, Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, observed that from the stand point of improving election management, he did not think the country had made much advancement and intimated that inPresidential Election, put not just the two litigants on trial, but also on trial was Election Management Body and Judiciary hence cameras and videos allowed into the courtroom.
That, he explained, the judges were conscious it was not just a legal issue but also political and the generality of the public had keen interest in it however, the electorate were the real parties of interest.-GNA
