Anyone who follows me will win - Ayikoi Otoo

The former Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice, lawyer Joseph Ayikoi Otoo, has said any lawyer who follows his footsteps in the ongoing electoral dispute will win his case without any shred of doubt.

The former AG who led the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and its flag bearer, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, to convince the Accra High Court to order the Electoral Commission to overturn its decision to disqualify his client, said “if anybody follows my footsteps he will win.”

He made this known in response to a query as to how he felt about the All People’s Congress’ (APC) victory.

A seven-member panel of Supreme Court justices presided over by Justice Sophia Adinyira has directed the EC and the PPP to send soft copies of their written submission through email for them to determine the matter on Monday.

This was after the EC had filed a review application at the apex court challenging a High Court ruling ordering it to allow the PPP’s flag bearer, Dr. Nduom, the opportunity to rectify errors in his nomination forms.

Other members of the panel are Justice Baffoe Bonney, Justice Akoto Bamfo, Justice Ampa Benin, Justice Annin Yeboah, Justice Yaw Appau and Justice Gabriel Pwamang.

Mahama to know fate on Nov. 10

Meanwhile, the Accra High Court presided over by justice Afua Norvisi Aryene has set Monday, November 10, as the date to rule on the suit by the People’s National Convention challenging the disqualification of its flag bearer, Dr. Edward Mahama, from running in the election.

Ayariga wins

Also, another of the Chief Justice’s special justices hearing the electoral disputes, Justice Barbara Tetteh Charway, has ordered the EC to afford the presidential candidate of the APC, Dr. Hassan Ayariga an opportunity to correct and rectify the errors on his nomination forms.

The court said the disqualification of the APC was a breach of the EC’s own regulations governing the upcoming elections, specifically CI94, 9 (02 &3).

Justice Charway, in her ruling, said the EC rushed with its decision and that it ought to have given Mr. Ayariga’s party the opportunity to correct the extra two mistakes after it had drawn its attention early on to 30 errors.