Election petition: I will defend NDC again if need be - Tsatsu

Lead counsel for the NDC in the 2012 election petition case, Tsatsu Tsikata has said he would be glad to defend the ruling party again if the same circumstances that triggered the court action were to arise in future.

“I would hope that the petitioners would not again try such a stunt. I hope there wouldn’t be such an occasion because as I explained to you, it’s quite a tiresome process, more like a sifting sand having to look through all these pink sheets and documents on a daily basis.

“It was a staggering moment for Dr. Bawumia to admit that he wasn’t at polling stations, but trying to challenge the signatures and certification of those who were there. Well, I don’t expect that such a thing would be brought up again, but if it does come up again, I suppose some of us will have to dust our gowns and go and do it again,” he told Radio Gold.

The former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) led the team of lawyers that represented the NDC in the landmark case which confirmed the legitimacy of President John Mahama.

Nana Akufo-Addo, together with his running mate in the 2012 presidential election, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the party’s Chairman at the time, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, challenged the results of the December presidential election on grounds that there were too many irregularities that marred the sanctity and integrity of the final results declared by the country’s Electoral Commission.

They prayed the Supreme Court to nullify the results. A nine-member panel of Justices, led by William Atuguba, however, upheld the victory of John Mahama after the long legal battle.