The committee set up by the New Patriotic Party to review the landmark Supreme Court verdict in the 2012 presidential election petition is set to finally decide on whether the party should seek a review of the ruling or not next week.
The party is still contemplating on testing the law again, if it may turn to their favour, chairman of the committee, Ayikoi Otoo, hinted on Joy FM's news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday, 28th September 2013.
He is, therefore, advising functionaries of the ruling National Democratic Congress who have gone to bed with the ruling, believing everything is over to rethink, because the NPP has not completely shelved its intention to go for a review.
Hours after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on August 29, 2013, the first petitioner in the case, Nana Akufo-Addo accepted the result and made it clear he does not intend contesting the outcome though he had some reservations.
However, the NPP, on whose ticket Nana Akufo-Addo stood as the presidential candidate in the election, subsequently constituted a committee comprising former Attorney Generals to review the court's decision and advice the party accordingly.
To decide whether the party can possibly overturn the verdict when it goes for a review was one of the committee's core mandate, Mr Ayikoi Otoo who is a former Attorney General under the Kufuor administration noted.
He said Justice Baffoe Bonnie's written ruling upheld the petitioners claim of over-votting, but in the judge's opinion the number was insignificant to overturn the election results. With Justice Jones Dotse, Mr Otoo said, made reference to the KPMG report and wanted the figures compared and subtracted. But Justice Baffoe Bonnie did not provide the figures which he claimed were insignificant whilst Justice Dotse's comparison was not also done, he asserted.
He, therefore, believes these things "create an area of doubt on the finality of the judgment" which can be clarified by a review of the verdict.
The former Attorney General acknowledged that although the petitioners have lost the first 30 days to go for a review, it is within their right to go for extension.
"If it is granted we can test those areas," he revealed.
The NDC, he cautioned, should not be too happy that the 30 days have elapsed.
"If it comes out strongly that people believe Nana ought to have won, in that, the voting pattern should have been 5:4 in favour of Nana instead of the 5:4 against the petitioners, why not?"
Mr Ayikoi Otoo announced that the committee will meet finally early next week to conclude its work.
Source: myjoyonline
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