I disagree with the process and ruling of the trial - Mahama

While John Dramani Mahama has stated that he knows by going to the court, they are legally bound by the final verdict of the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court that ruled on the petition he sent to the court following the 2020 elections, he has stated unequivocally that he disagrees with the process and the ruling of the trial.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the case started on January 24, 2021, John Mahama stressed how the processes through which the ruling underwent, were not fair to them.

He explained that they noticed very clear manipulations in the results of the elections of 2020, and from the posture of the EC and the ruling of the court, he disagrees with the process and the final ruling of the Supreme Court.

"Much as I'm aware that we're legally bound by the decision of the highest court of the land - the Supreme Court of Ghana, I disagree with the process and the ruling of the case. For the avoidance of doubts, I said that much as I'm aware that we're legally bound by the decision of the Supreme Court, I disagree with the process of the trial and ruling of the court," he stated.

The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, delivered a more than two-hours long verdict with the concluding words, "your petition is dismissed without merit," reaffirming the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

What was Mahama seeking from the Supreme Court?

The petitioner, Mr. Mahama, was seeking a rerun of the December 7, 2020 elections between himself and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because he believed both leading candidates did not obtain 50 per cent of the valid votes as required.

His petition was based on the results declared by Jean Mensa, the Electoral Commission Chairperson on 9 December 2020.

John Dramani Mahama was also seeking the following reliefs in his petition:

1. A declaration that EC Chair Jean Mensah’s declaration of the election results on December 9, 2020, was in breach of Article 63 (3) of the 1992 constitution.

2. That based on the data contained in the declaration, no candidate satisfied the requirement of the stated Article, to be declared President-elect.

3. A declaration that the declaration was unconstitutional, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever

4. An order annulling the Declaration of President-Elect Instrument 2020 (C.I. 135) dated 9th December 2020, issued under the hand of the EC Chair.

5. An order of injunction restraining Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from holding himself out as President-elect;

6. An order of mandatory injunction directing the EC to conduct a re-run of the election with he (Mahama) and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as candidates.