Jean Mensa cross-exam: Why didn't Mahama testify? Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante

Why did former President John Mahama not mount the dock in the ongoing election petition of which he is the petitioner? Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante, one of the spokespersons of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s legal team has asked.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, 9 February 2021 concerning the ongoing legal tussle about whether or not the witnesses of the first and second respondents – Electoral Commission Jean Mensa and the governing New Patriotic Party’s Peter Mac Manu – should mount the dock, Ms Adobea Asante threw in the question of why the flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not testify in the matter.

“In the court of public opinion, what it is, is that the petitioner himself did not testify; that is something we should all ask: why is it that John Dramani Mahama did not testify in the matter?

“He is the one who has brought the matter to court.

“He is the one who, above all and beyond, is personally affected by the matter, so, he should have brought the matter to court”, she said.

Concerning their decision not to call any witnesses, Ms Adobea Asante said: “As a lawyer, you have your strategy and you decide which strategy to take at every point in time”.

“We have always said that we are poised and we are at the mercy of the court. If the court decides that we should give evidence, our star witness is more than ready but it’s curious to note that the petitioner has all the documents that he’s requesting for, the petitioner has not met the threshold that has brought us to court”, she added.

She explained further: “This is a court of law and the reason we are here is to challenge the validity of the election. It is to determine the five issues that have been set down for trial and as long as these five issues have not been duly satisfied – we believe that the evidence that has been adduced, does not, in any way, prejudice our case – so, we have decided that as part of our strategy, and we bear the risk, we are ready not to call evidence and I think that should be something that we should be allowed to do”.

The court will rule on Thursday, 11 February 2021 about whether or not Mrs Mensa and Mr Mac Manu should mount the dock.