Election Petition: Mahama’s lawyers withdraw application for stay of proceedings

A motion for the withdrawal of stay of proceedings filed by the lawyers for John Dramani Mahama has been accepted by the Supreme Court.

The lawyers for the NDC flagbearer had filed for stay of proceedings pending a review of the Court’s ruling on their interrogatory of Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission.

At today’s sitting, Tsatsu Tsikata, a counsel for the petitioner, John Dramani moved for the withdrawal of the application they filed on January 21, 2021.

The Supreme Court justices accepted this on the basis that once the petitioner has submitted his witness statements, the application is no longer relevant.

This paves way for the hearing of the substantive matter which is in line with the timelines stipulated in C.I 99.

John Mahama as it is known is asking the apex court to order a re-run of the 2020 presidential elections.

On Wednesday, his lawyers filed their witness statements in line with a directive of the court.

The witnesses are General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and Dr Kpessa Whyte who was the party’s agent in the EC’s strong room.

Asiedu Nketia, in his statement made allusions that Jean Mensa’s relationship with First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo blinded her from being objective and independent in the execution of her duties as the Returning Officer of the Presidential Elections.