Petition has made Mahama a laughing stock – Gabby

Executive Director of Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has urged members of the New Patriotic Party not to be dampened in spirit by President John Dramani Mahama's prejudicial comments on the election petition suit before the Supreme Court, saying it is clear the ‘troubled’ president needs such self encouragement at this crucial moment.

“…obviously, his people are worried about how this case is going to go and on the occasion of their 21st birthday, it was important in his view to give them some hope. As to how substantive that hope would be; it is up to the court to decide,” Mr. Otchere-Darko said.

“Sometimes, I feel so sorry for him. He goes to all the so-called international conferences and people are looking at him saying ‘this is the guy being challenged’. So he can be allowed to say all sorts of things to all sorts of people,” he added.

President Mahama is on record to have stated during the celebration of the NDC’s 21st anniversary that the outcome of the Supreme Court case would prove to the world that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the 2012 elections cleanly.

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, reacted to the president’s comment by issuing a statement on behalf of the party, cautioning President Mahama to “stop intimidating judges with prejudicial statements.”

Speaking on Joy FM’s news analysis programme, Newsfile on Saturday, Asare Otchere-Darko pontificated that the petition filed to challenge his (Mahama's) legitimacy, has made him a laughing stock in the eyes of foreign dignitaries.

He added that as an NPP member, he would rather spur President Mahama on to make comments of that nature, since they were vital for his psyche and wellbeing of his supporters.

“The president can say so to tickle the fancy of his supporters and of course when you are under such pressure…you need to say something,” he said.