The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Henry Nana Boakye for what they say are attempts to incite the Supreme Court against Counsel for John Dramani Mahama in the ongoing Election Petition hearing.
The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi constituency and a spokesperson for the 2nd Respondent’s legal team few days ago accused Dr. Dominic Ayine who is a ranking member of Mahama’s legal team of being unfair to the country’s judicial system over comments he made after a court ruling didn’t go in their favour.
Dr Dominic Ayine said recently after a ruling went against the ex-President Mahama that “To reduce the petition into a single issue petition is rather unfortunate and smack of a predetermined agenda to rule against the petitioner in this matter. We think that the court by this decision has not done the people of this country a great service.”
Reacting to the comment, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah noted that, “It is not fair to the judicial system, it’s not fair to our democracy, it’s not fair to the people of Ghana that when you lose an application because it is not grounded in law or because you’ve failed to meet the legal standard, then you come here and literally poison the minds of the public and make claims that they may be having a predetermined agenda. That’s scandalous of the court.”
National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye aka Nana B also asked the Supreme Court to punish Dr. Ayine for his comments.
“Running down the apex court of the land over a ruling grounded in law and procedural rules is a grave sin that can’t be overlooked. He [Dominic Ayine] must be summoned before the court and if found guilty, the appropriate sanctions given to him to serve us deterrent to others who may be tempted to scandalize the court or drag its image in the mud.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Ayine in commenting on the issue has stressed that he is disappointed in Kojo Oppong Nkrumah for the attempts to incite the court against him.
He insists that as a senior lawyer to he [Oppong Nkrumah], he has no intention whatsoever of scandalising the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ghana.
This did not go down well with the NDC and have issued a statement of condemnation.
“Unfortunately in recent times, the NPP team led by Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has been using the podium offered by the media to attack counsel representing HE John Dramani Mahama in the case and even going further to incite the court against the former Deputy Attorney General Hon. Dr. Dominic Ayine,” part of a release from the NDC has said.
The release adds, “We consider this persistent conduct of Hon. Oppong Nkrumah and Henry Nana Boakye and their surrogates as unbecoming of professional colleagues who have sworn to protect the ethics of their respected profession over and above partisan considerations. The Supreme Court exists to do justice fairly and squarely to all citizens irrespective of political colonies and to attempt to incite the court against our noble lawyers is to debase the court’s role and duty.
“We accordingly condemn in no uncertain terms this unfortunate conduct of the NPP to demonize our counsel before the Supreme Court.”
Find below the press statement from the NDC:
