Veep: I’m surprised SC verdict wasn’t 9-0

Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur says he is surprised Ghana’s Supreme Court was not unanimous in dismissing all the pleadings of the petitioners in the presidential poll challenge.

The nine-member panel of Justices of the apex Court, by majority decision, dismissed the Petitioners’ case on Thursday August 29, 2013 and declared President John Mahama “validly elected”.

Amissah-Arthur told journalists at the Flagstaff House minutes after the verdict was pronounced that: “I‘ve never doubted that this will be the outcome…I‘m surprised that it wasn’t 9-0 9-0 throughout”.

According to him, Petitioners – 2012 Presidential Candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey - should not have gone to Court in the first place because they had a wobbly case.

“NPP had a weak case…they should not have brought [the case to court]”, he asserted.

“…It’s been a long period of wait and uncertainty. It’s over, resolved definitively in favour of the president and we hope that everybody will now get on in supporting the president in doing his job”, Amissah-Arthur said.

He said the long-drawn case created uncertainty in the economy but expressed relief that: “…There’s some certainty now. We’re working for economic stability and growth”.