2012 election petition was decided through prayers - Atuguba opens up

Retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Williams Atuguba has spoken since delivering judgement on the 2012 election petition.

According to him, the verdict of the election petition was decided by the Supreme Court through prayers.

"That election petition was decided through prayer by the panel," he added.

Speaking at a lecture series organised by the Catholic Church, Justice Atuguba stressed that "When the decision came, there was peace; total peace in the country.

"As for the vilifications, they are unending and sometimes most painful. You can’t believe that some human beings are capable of [such] diabolical behaviour," he said.

He also revealed that attempts are made by some individuals to offer money to Supreme Court judges in order to obtain favourable judgments.

"Apart from political challenges in the cases I sat on, there were other challenges: you can’t believe that some people will even dare try to induce even Supreme Court judges with money to decide cases in their favour," he said.

2012 election petition

Then candidate Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the late Jacob Obetsebi-Lamptey petitioned the Supreme Court to quash Mahama's victory citing multiple infractions and irregularities.

The verdict of the court generated many controversies with some suggesting the decision of the court was rigged.

The Supreme Court judge, who was appointed by former President Jerry John Rawlings retired from the bench in 2018.

He missed out to become the Chief Justice early this year when the position became vacant.