Wednesday,
December 19, 2012
At
long last, we now know what the NPP will go to the Supreme Court for. The party’s
General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, has enumerated three reliefs that the
party will seek:
i.
The number of votes stolen for President Mahama
to be deducted and those deducted from Nana Akufo-Addo to be restored.
ii.
Polling stations where the number of voters
were more than the number of people verified by the verification machines would
be cancelled as stated by the EC prior to the elections.
iii.
To contest why the “no verification no vote”
statement of the EC was adhered to in the Ashanti Region, the stronghold of the
NPP, but was ignored in the Northern, Greater Accra, and Volta regions.
He
praised the almighty God for helping the NPP to verify the series of theft
committed by the NDC to win the elections illegally right on time, saying “the
NPP shall win in court.
A
brief analysis of the situation is apt at this stage.
Relief
Number One
By the NPP’s own calculation,
what exactly is the quantum of votes “stolen” for President Mahama that the
Supreme Court will ask to be given to Akufo-Addo? We are not certain at this
stage because of the conflicting figures so far given. From 15,000 votes to
50,000, then, to 100,000, and to 150,000, only to end up being raised to over
one million votes by this same Kwadwo Owusu Affriyie. Where does the NPP stand?
Furthermore, by the NPP’s own
calculations, how much was deducted from Akufo-Addo, which the Supreme Court
will serve as an Accountant-General to order that the right calculation be done
and those votes added to Akufo-Addo’s tally so that he could outdo President
Mahama?
We recall the report of the CODEO
that although the NPP is claiming to have been cheated, it was rather President
Mahama who lost votes because of some irregularities. How is the NPP going to
account for this claim?
Again, why is the NPP so sure
that the Supreme Court will accept its figures as the true reflection of the
voters’ electoral decision at the polls? Is the NPP saying that of all the
parties and independent candidates who contested the elections, it was only the
NPP that could have access to figures that it is keeping under its armpit to
dump on the Supreme Court as the truth inviolate?
Relief
Number Two
The
NPP’s demand that polling stations where the number of voters were more than
the number of people verified by the verification machines would be cancelled
as stated by the EC prior to the elections is just one of those loud
allegations that may not be supported by evidence. Who has identified
which polling station as such? We haven’t so far heard anything to that effect
and will wait patiently for the NPP to prove this allegation before we get to
know what is what.
Relief
Number Three
What will the NPP gain by contesting why the “no verification no
vote” statement of the EC was adhered to in the Ashanti Region (the stronghold
of the NPP) but was ignored in the Northern, Greater Accra, and Volta regions? Where
in those regions, though? Is that enough justification to change the equation
or to call for a re-run of the elections in those regions? This aspect of their
claims is really sweeping and won’t wash with anybody who monitored the
balloting that took place.
My
opinions
Now that we know what the NPP is
gunning for, we are more eager to see its legal team in court instead iof this
psychological warfare it has embarked on in the media. Although they are
adamant that no one can stampede them to go to court because they still have 12
days more to do so, we have a hunch that they know how tough the battle they
want to wage is and are seeking public sympathy. By their riotous behaviour, haven’t
they already lost whatever sympathy they might have had even before the
elections.
In all these claims, there is
little talk of seeing Akufo-Addo installed as President, which suggests to me
that they know they are trying to force a river to flow upstream. Granted that
the Supreme Court agrees with them that the elections were marred by irregularities,
the matter is likely to end there. By oversimplifying matters to say that votes
were stolen for President Mahama and that those meant for Akufo-Addo were
under-declared, they assume that if the Supreme Court grants their relief,
then, everything will be put together to Akufo-Addo’s advantage. Complete
wishful thinking.
A sharp dead-end is in sight for
them. I have a funny feeling that the Supreme Court will not overturn the
entire elections or nullify the results. Those in the NPP gearing themselves up
to celebrate victory in this case had better think twice because their wishes
won’t become horses for any beggar to ride.
I don’t think that the Supreme
Court has the mandate to declare any winner of the elections as they are
wrongfully expecting. The Supreme Court’s purview doesn’t cover that area. All
the Court will do is to interpret the electoral laws and make submissions that
will not reverse the NPP’s fate.
I will stick my neck out on this
score to say that the NPP is pushing its luck too far and should be prepared
for a more devastating blow. Its leaders may be proud that they have lawyers in
their fold to fight their battle or that they have allies in the Judiciary to
count on; but I will tell them straight to their faces that the matter at stake
has already been determined by the appropriate constitutionally mandated body
responsible for electoral affairs in the country. What they are raising is just
for the records.
Definitely, the Supreme Court will
interpret the law but not determine winners of the elections or order that
Akufo-Addo be installed in office. I don’t think that the NPP has any
justification to be optimistic of victory or that its Akufo-Addo will become
the President. He wasn’t elected by the majority of Ghanaians and will not be
allowed to be imposed on anybody. The Supreme Court is not made up of dunces!
For now, the majority of
Ghanaians who rejected him have comported themselves, even in the face of
extreme provocation by the riotous NPP followers. Indeed, when it comes to the crunch,
they will rise up to confront those who lost the elections but are fouling
their air with agitations and bedlam.
No one is against the NPP’s
decision to pursue this case in court; but Ghanaians know whom they chose to
lead them for the next four years. They didn’t have to go to any tedious or
contentious length to do so. They simply used their thumbs at the polls without
any coercion or inducement. Those who are disputing the verdict of the people
and hiding behind legal technicalities to overturn the table won’t have it
easy.
Although the law is often
described as an “ass,” it is not just sitting there to be grabbed and ridden to
paradise by those who don’t deserve its services. Let the court case begin for
us to see how the tide will flow.
I shall return…
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