NPP’s Obiri Boahen chides petitioner Mahama for not filing witness statement

Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Obiri Boahen has described the refusal of the petitioner in the ongoing 2020 election petition case at the Supreme Court, John Dramani Mahama, to file a witness statement as dangerous.

Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen said the position of the law enjoins the petitioner to file his witness statement because he brought the action against the Electoral Commission (EC) and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The petitioner on Monday ended his submissions with a call on the Supreme Court to compel the EC Chairperson, Jean Adukwei Mensah, to testify in the witness box.

But this demand was opposed by the first respondent while the second respondent also kicked against bringing in his witness, Peter Mac Manu.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, February 9 on Onua TV’s Maakye hosted jointly by Afia Tagor and Adwoa Konadu-Yiadom, Nana Obiri Boahen said “the petitioner, John Mahama, did not bring his witness statement”.

“The one who petitioned did not bring a witness statement which is serious and dangerous. What Asiedu Nketia said, what Rojo Mettle Nunoo said and Dr. Kpessa-White said they were all corroborative”.

He explained that “John Mahama did not do a witness statement, he did not give power of Attorney…he did not speak or testify in Court and they are all wrong in law”.

Lawyer Obiri Boahen observed that “they demonstrated, they burnt tyres, they did all sorts of things and said they were going to court but the petitioner did not testify or neither did he file any witness statement”.

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The Lawyer said “[the petitioner] has ended his case and so he cannot go back and amend it.

“Even though it was dangerous and serious for not preparing a witness statement for the petitioner, if I were the Supreme Court, I would have allowed the EC woman to be in the box, even though what the SC did was right”.

Nana Obiri Boahen said, “the petitioner succeeds on the strength of his own case. He does not succeed on the weakness of his opponent”.