NDC will request recusal of petition judges if need be - Amaliba

The legal team of former president John Dramani Mahama will put its best foot forward when the pre-trial stage of the 2020 presidential election petition kicks off tomorrow.

Lawyer Abraham Amaliba, a member of the petitioner’s team, told Joy FM that even though they did not know which judges were going to be empanelled, they will demand recusal of particular judges if need be.

“That (composition of panel) has not been made known to us. Once again; it is at the pre-trial stage, the case management stage that we may know the panel and if there is the need to do some background checks or if there is the need to object and to ask any of them to recuse himself, we will not shy away from that."

On the subject of whether or not the team had any names of judges they will object to, he said: “We don’t go to court fixated and saying that if this judge is there we will not have him sit on the case.

“We will go with an open mind, hoping that the panel will be fair to each of us. Hoping that the panel will be one that one will not have questions to ask about,” he added.

Hearing of the petition is expected to begin on January 14. The pre-trial stage will reveal the names of justices who will hear the case. The former president is demanding that a rerun be ordered between him and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The Electoral Commission is the other respondent. The EC declared Akufo-Addo president with 51.48% of votes as against 47.86% for former president John Dramani Mahama. The NDC says the president got 49% of valid votes.