I wonder how President Mahama can intimidate the Supreme Court judges sitting on Election 2012 electoral fraud case. Has he got wherewithal to intimidate the judges? I personally think the answer is a BIG NO.
He may be able to influence them in a way but hardly can he intimidate them to judge the ongoing case in his favour. He may induce them with money or promise them equally enhancing favours. He can secretly arrange for dubious persons like Mornah, Amekudze etc to resort to certain acts presumed able to tip the balance in his favour but that may, or may not; find favour in the eyes of the judges. Apart from that, I see nothing intimidating that he can resort to, to compel the judges to rule the case in his favour. The odds of the judges being coerced by President Mahama and his NDC supporters are negligible.
Although we are talking about Ghana where everything goes and anything is possible, I bet there is little if not nothing, that President Mahama can do to forcefully woo the judges to his side.
We are in a functioning democracy with marked separation of powers, whether we like it or not. Any attempts of encroachment into one another's territory, whether direct or indirect, will be repulsed. The three organs of government (Executive, judiciary and Legislative) are independent of one another.
The Supreme Court can never blame their shortcomings, be they acts of unprofessionalism, prejudices or deliberate mischievousness, on President Mahama, the Executive organ of government or the NDC party, no matter how absurdly they exert pressure on the judges. Should the court render any prejudicial verdict in favour of the sitting clueless President, then they have themselves to blame but not whoever exerted the supposed needless pressure on them.
There are convincing volumes of documentary proofs before them. There is more than enough persuasive evidence extracted from Dr Afari Gyan to confirm there was a calculated plot to rig the election. The irresponsible or senseless winding answers Dr Afari Gyan gives to questions asked by counsel Phillip Addison at his cross-examination confirm the respondents are lying, rigged the elections and are in serious trouble of losing the case.
The whole world is watching the court proceedings thanks to the live telecast granted by Chief Justice Madam Theodora Georgina Woods, without which the respondents could easily have lured the judges with bribe to do the unthinkable.
The President of the bench, Justice Atuguba, has come under bitter criticism both at home and abroad. He is seen on camera to be vicious and biased towards the petitioners' counsel. It is good that his actions, both spoken and body language, are all too obvious on camera, and are being telecast live.
Rumours are rife in London that a delegation of Northern region chiefs will be meeting Justice Atuguba over the Election 2012 case of which he is the Presiding judge. If their intention is to influence him to help judge the case in favour of President Mahama, the son of the northern soil, then I am afraid they have failed in advance. There is not much that Justice Atuguba can do as long as the whole world is watching the court proceedings, with people making their own informed decisions. He can only tell the truth following from, and based on, the court proceedings, the hard and softcopy evidences and the witnesses.
I reassure all discerning Ghanaians not to lose any sleep over the court proceedings. God has already decided the winner as always said in my write-ups. No matter what the enemies do, God's purpose for Nana Akufo Addo, for Ghana, and for Africa shall come to pass. There is nothing that President Mahama, the judges or any devil incarnate can do to reverse it. Amen.
Rockson Adofo
