No massive post-verdict demo by NPP – Jake

The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will focus on forging ahead to re-organise for future elections, irrespective of which verdict is pronounced by Ghana’s Supreme Court on the election petition case.

Party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey told DW radio in an interview that the party will shift focus after the Supreme Court pronounces verdict.

When asked by the anchor about what the next step will be for the party in case the verdict goes against the petitioners, Obetsebi-Lamptey said: “Next step will be to find out what actually emerges out of the court decision and to get ourselves ready for the future because there is a future”.

According to him, “we went to court so the court has to come to a decision and now we are prepared to listen to what that decision is”.

Responding to a question about whether the NPP will hold any street demonstrations in case the verdict goes against the petitioners, Obetsebi-Lamptey stated categorically that: “I don’t think we should expect any massive demonstrations”.

The Petitioners – 2012 presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Obetsebi-Lamptey – resorted to Ghana’s apex Court to seek redress on last year’s presidential poll results, which, they argue, was not representative of valid votes cast.

They claim the elections were fraught with irregularities and malpractices which robbed Nana Akufo-Addo of victory.

President John Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) are the respondents in the case.

The court is expected to pronounce its judgment on Thursday August 29, 2013 to bring an end to the eight-month-old election dispute.