Akufo-Addo’s lawyers want election petition to be dismissed, it lacks merit – Buaben Asamoa

Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Yaw Buaben Asamoa has said that lawyers of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo do not expect the Supreme Court to go into the election petition filed by the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama.

According to him, the lawyers believe that there is no merit in the petition hence, should not be considered at all.

Mr. Mahama is asking the apex court to order a rerun of the 2020 elections because, in his view, no candidate won.

But Buaben Asamoa told TV3 in an interview that “The lawyers of His Excellency President Akufo-Addo expect that the petition will be dismissed without going into it at all because they don’t believe there is any merit in it.”

The President’s lawyers had earlier described the petition as incompetent, frivolous, and vexatious and does not meet the threshold for invoking the jurisdiction of the Honorable Court and should therefore be dismissed.

A statement signed by Frank Davies, Head, Legal Directorate for the president announcing spokesperson for the legal team to tackle the case in court said “The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has through his Lawyers filed an Answer to the 2020 Presidential Elections Petition initiated by John Dramani Mahama, a candidate in that election.

“President Akufo-Addo in his Answer has provided the court with pleadings that showcase that Mr. Mahama’s petition lacks material substance."

“Mr President has further invited the Supreme Court to determine that ‘the petition is incompetent, frivolous and vexatious, does not meet the threshold for invoking the jurisdiction of the Honorable Court and should therefore be dismissed.”

A spokesperson for the Petitioner’s legal team Abraham Amaliba told TV3 that they expect to be vindicated in court.

“I know that clearly, we will vindicate ourselves in court but those who are going to pronounce the verdict are the Supreme Court judges."

“We also have the court of public opinion who will also be looking into the matters via their television set.”