Whether NPP weeps or cries, Mahama is Prez - Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has rubbished calls for the 2012 presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, and his team, to seek review of the Supreme Court judgment on the election petition.

Kwesi Pratt warned the opposition party to remain in their shells and not dare go for a review because to him, it would be a ‘frivolous’ venture.

He strongly held that any move to review the court verdict would have no grounds because whether the opposition party members “cry or weep”, no matter what they do; “the verdict is that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is the validly elected President of Ghana. He is the legitimate President of Ghana. He is the legal President of Ghana and nothing will change that. Until and unless he loses an election or commits an impeachable offence, President John Mahama is the President of the Republic.”

Also addressing his concerns on Radio Gold’s “Alhaji and Alhaji” on Saturday, Mr. Pratt Jnr. further averred that the NPP leadership would only bring “disgrace” upon themselves should they challenge the verdict given by the nine Supreme Court Justices.

“I make bold at the same time to predict that any such review can only bring about devastating disgrace for those who seek it. The standards for applying for review and for reviews to be heard are so strict and high. Having examined the judgement of the nine Judges, I am fully convinced that a review will fail,” he stated.

The NPP has set up a three member committee made up of former Attorney-Generals, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Joe Ghartey and Ayikoi Otoo to review the August 29 ruling of the Supreme Court.

There are suggestions that NEC which is the highest decision making body in the NPP may order Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (second petitioner) or party chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey (third petitioner)to file for review if the committee finds it necessary.

But to Mr Pratt, unless the petitioners are able to prove that there was fresh material evidence which was not available to them during the period when the matter was determined in court, they stand no chance of winning their case when they go for a review.

He therefore advised them to note that “the nation’s time, precious time should not be wasted again on any frivolity like the filing of a review” and as a result, “those who are making noises about the possibility of filing a review to rest their case because the Presidency of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is not about to change and is not going to change on the basis of a review.”

He also issued a strong warning to the party commentators who keep trumpeting that justice was not served on the election petition to refrain from such conduct because to him, that is “showing gross disrespect to the constitution of Ghana.”