John Mahama, NDC Submitted 1,278 Duplicated Affidavits � Philip Addison

In an interesting twist to the ongoing Supreme Court Presidential Election Petition, it has emerged that 1st Respondent, John Mahama and 3rd Respondents, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), submitted far less affidavits than had been claimed by their Counsels in open court and in the media. It would be recalled that the two respondents filed joint witness affidavits to back their case and that Counsels of the two respondents, Counsel Tony Lithur and Counsel Tsatsu Tsikata stated in court that they had submitted 7,200 witness affidavits mainly from the polling agents of John Mahama and the NDC in the polling stations where irregularities occurred. However, while being cross examined by lead counsel for the petitioners, Philip Addison, main witness for the two respondents; Johnson Asiedu Nketiah confessed that the respondents served only 5,316 witness affidavits to the Courts. The Lead Counsel for the petitioners, Counsel Philip Addison in his cross examination further indicated that after almost a month, the petitioners have been served with only 4,941 witness affidavits instead of the 5,316 Mr. Asiedu Nketiah was claiming or the 7,200 claimed by Counsel Tony Lithur and Counsel Tsatsu Tsikata. Counsel Philip Addison further indicated that out of the 4,941 witness affidavits served on the petitioners, 1,278 had been found out to be duplicates while 291 of the affidavits were not related to any of the 11,842 polling stations whose results are being challenged by the petitioners as a result of various irregularities which affected the conduct, outcome and integrity of the elections in those polling stations. It was also revealed that 171 of the affidavits submitted by the respondents are in relation to the 704 polling stations that the petitioners are no longer relying on in the ongoing case. This interesting turn of events comes after the respondents had virtually based their whole case on duplications and mislabelling in the exhibits tendered by the petitioners and after claiming severally that they had been served with less than 11,842 exhibits as had been claimed by the petitioners. Wednesday, which saw Counsel Philip Addison ending his two day cross examination of the main witness for the NDC and John Mahama, also saw Counsel for John Mahama, Tony Lithur receive some scolding from the bench after he angrily threw away a document the petitioners sought to have Mr. Asiedu Nketiah identify.