We’ll never forget the sacrifices – Awuku celebrates Bawumia

Former National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party(NPP). Mr. Sammi Awuku is celebrating Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his excellent display of issues during the 2012 Presidential Election Petition.

Commemorating the ninth anniversary of the petition, the Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) indicated the current Vice President was subjected to serious scrutiny by lawyers of the respondents.

“He came out strong, unscathed and energized for the Big Victory in 2016”, he disclosed

“As a party and as young people, we will never forget the sacrifices of this gentleman.

H.E Dr. Bawumia was subjected to serious scrutiny and questioning by the Lawyers of the then Ruling NDC.  He came out strong, unscathed and energized for the Big Victory in 2016. Not forgetting my own “real size” contempt wahala… 9 years on, this very election petition did set the tone for the Greatest political mobilization towards electoral victory under the 4th Republic in 2016. Happy 9th Anniversary”

Background

The 9-member panel of the Supreme court of Ghana, who sat on the presidential election petition of 28th December 2012 by unanimous decision ruled that the then incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), was validly elected and declared president of the Republic of Ghana in the presidential poll of 7th and 8th December 2012.

In reading the verdict dismissing the petitioners’ claim, the then presiding judge Justice William Atuguba said: “Well, this is the decision we have arrived at:

“Upon scrutiny of the petition, we found that the issues to be determined are as set out at page 125 of the counsel for the petitioners’ written address was as follows:

1. Overvoting;

2. Voting without biometric verification;

3. Absence of the signature of the presiding officer;

4. Duplicate serial numbers, that is to say, the occurrence of the same serial numbers on pink sheets for two different polling stations;

5. Duplicate polling station codes, that is to say occurrence of different results of pink sheets for polling stations with the same polling station codes;

6. Unknown polling stations, that is to say, results recorded for polling stations that are not part of 26,002 polling stations provided by the second respondent in the petition.

“We unanimously dismiss the claims relating to duplicate serial numbers, duplicate polling station codes, and unknown polling stations, that is for short.

“Atuguba, Adinyira, Baffoe-Bonnie, Gbadegbe, and Akoto-Bamfo, dismiss the claim of overvoting.

“Atuguba, Adinyira, Baffoe-Bonnie, Gbadegbe, Akoto-Bamfo, dismiss the claims relating to the absence of signature of the presiding officer.

“Atuguba, Adinyira, Dotsey, Baffoe-Bonnie, Gbadegbe, Akoto-Bamfo dismiss the claim relating to voting without biometric verification

“Ansah, Owusu and Anim Yeboah grant all the three claims, that is to say, over voting, absence of presiding officers’ signature and voting without biometric verification, annul the votes involved and order a rerun of the affected areas

“Dotsey JSC grants the claim of over-voting but has provided a road-map in his judgement as in the figures of votes to be ascertained and cancelled and a re-run of the areas affected

“Dotsey JSC upholds the claim relating to the absence of presiding officers’ signatures on the pink sheets cancels the results concerned and orders a rerun of the areas affected

“Baffoe-Bonnie JSC grants the claim of voting without biometric verification cancels the votes involved and orders a rerun of the areas affected

“In the circumstances, the overall effect is that the first respondent was validly elected and the petition is therefore dismissed.

“Our various judgements for the sake of convenience are handed over to the registrar of this court

“We highly commend the services of KPMG, the referee appointed to undertake the count of the pink sheet and also the counsels on all sides of this case.

“That is our judgement.”

In his concession speech delivered minutes after the celebrated verdict; Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the defeated 2012 New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer and the leader of the presidential election petition, had told the NPP faithful at their national headquarters in Accra that though he disagreed with unanimous of the highest court of the country, he respects and accepts the decision. And that for the sake of country and goodwill, his party shall not embark on any review of the ruling.

“This is time for us to come together and work to find solutions to the challenges that confront our people,” said Nana Akufo-Addo, who hinted that he will be taking some time off from active politics so as to reflect on his political future that as he seemed to suggest, the decision, might not be long.

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