Election Petition: Going to court was the 'best decision' for Mahama - Mike Oquaye

Former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has disclosed that going to court over the 2020 election dispute was the best decision former President John Dramani Mahama has ever made.

According to him, with president Akufo-Addo having shown the way in the 2013 election petition, the former president could not have done anything worse.

Speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, he explained that the peace of this country cannot be exchanged for anybody's personal interest however, the court is available for anyone for feels unsatisfied with the outcome of any elections.

"In 2013 when now president HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was unsatisfied with the electoral results, he went to the Supreme Court to make a case rather than resorting to violence or any other thing that would have destabilized the peace of the country. And I believe that this should be the case for any other person who may feel disgruntled by any electoral results."

"The peace and development of this country cannot be traded for anything else and that it's the duty of everyone including those who are seeking to govern it to protect it," he added.

The Supreme Court by a unanimous decision has ruled the 2020 election petition against the petitioner, John Dramani Mahama.

In a ruling delivered by the Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, "the petition is dismissed as without merit".

According to the Supreme Court, the petitioner did not present to the court any figure to prove his case.

He further indicated that the burden of proof lied on the petitioner to prove that the declaration of results was flawed.

"The petitioner did not demonstrate how the alleged errors affected the validity of the declaration on the 9th. The petitioner has not produced any evidence . . . we have therefore no reason to order a re-run, we accordingly dismiss the petition," the final ruling indicated.