Ghana's Supreme Court Tosses Case Challenging President's Legitimacy

The Supreme Court of Ghana ruled today, 29 August, 2013, that the country's president was validly elected in presidential elections late last year, a highly anticipated judgment in what's been described as the biggest legal battle in Ghana's history.

After President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the December election with 50.70 percent of the votes, beating his main challenger Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who polled 47.7 percent of the votes, the opposition NPP challenged the results arguing that there were gross and widespread irregularities at more than 10,000 polling stations.

The judges unanimously dismissed their petition today, according to GhanaDecides, an initiative that works to better inform the electorate. The verdict raised mixed reactions within the Ghanaian online community.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The country supreme court has ruled that Mahama's election in December 2012 was valid. Photo courtesy Chatham House. Used under CC-BY-2.0 license.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The country's supreme court has ruled that Mahama's election in December 2012 was valid. Photo courtesy Chatham House. Used under CC-BY-2.0 license.

GhanaDecides (@GhanaDecides) tweeted from the courtroom just few minute before the pronouncement:

Laura Frempong (@Lauriedat) described the peaceful silence just before the pronouncement of the verdict:

Some Ghanaians cracked jokes to ease the tension, such as Kobbie (djkobbie):

Mahama himself (@JDMahama), who immediately prior to the elections had served as vice president, then president for four months when his predecessor died, commented on the verdict moments after it was handed down:

Writer Jemila Abdulai (jabdulai) noted the brevity of the court's pronouncement:

African and world literature blogger Kinna (@kinnareads) tweeted about the acceptance of the verdict by the opposition leader, Nana Addo Dankwa:

IamAKAKPO (@Devyphylx) ridiculed international media in his tweet:

Patrick Quantson (@PatrickQuantson) disagreed with the judgment of the court:

Blogger Claudia Andrews (@Claudieandrea) advised:

Ekow (@ekowmaisse) advised the electoral commission to reform the system:

3 comments

  • […] by Kofi Yeboah · comments (0) Donate · Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · […]

  • annehall1003

    Did it really had to come to this for the final decision to be accepted by all stake holders? What happened to free and fair elections and the acceptance by the losing party? It least now the people from Ghana can start the work they promised the people that went out there to vote and services delivery to be done. To think that it is almost a year since the elections were held is sad, but then at least it’s done now.

    This reminds me of an article I have been reading about Leopold Donchield Zu Leone II and the views he has for West Africa to be politically stable and focus on economic development through the constitutional monarchy system. Leopold Donchield Zu Leone II argues that constitutional monarchy is an institution that is designed to play a supportive role to any democratically elected government. It is a system whereby these prolonged court battles are sorted out amicable by all parties without dragging each other to the courts of law.

    (HSH) His Serene Highness Prince Leopold-Maximilian Donchield Zu Leone II- the German aristocratic ideology in West African context.

    The genius ideas of HSH Prince Leopold-Maximilian Donchield Zu Leone II, who grew up as the adoptiveson of a German aristocrat, he is young, wealthy and ambitious. He is a financial genius who really understand how Africa best can achieve return on its investments. It is of immense value that someone like Leopold Donchield Zu Leone II has chosen to get involved with finance, development in Africa and in his native Sierra Leone, the value lies in that he has one foot on each continent. He can bring European values and transform those values to fit in African context as he has African origin. HSH Prince Leopold Donchield Zu Leone
    II is the best of two worlds.

    HSH Prince Leopold M Donchield Zu Leone II has a vision that the future of Africa and West Africa lies with the constitutional monarchy system and compares that with those other
    monarchies like, the Netherlands, Qatar, UAE, Monaco, British etc. Leopold M Donchield
    Zu Leone II argues that Africa has a lot of untapped markets like tourism and trade and hence the prospects of economic development are so high. Monarchs can deliver competitive advantages to businesses operating in their respective realms. Leopold M Donchield Zu Leone II argues that, it is good to be a king or a queen, but when it comes to a nation’s economic health, it’s also good to have a king or a queen on hand. This is because Monarchs open economic doors. With the presence of royalty, companies can enter circles they wouldn’t be able to get in by themselves.

    http://www.leopolddonchieldzu-leoneii.blogspot.com

  • Edzia Sylvanus

    i think the Justices did a lazy job for mother

    Ghana

Join the conversation

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.