By Margaret Jackson
February 7, 2013
There is this proverb that coming events always cast their shadows before certain issues happen. And when things are not going well, certainly the centre point always cannot hold. There is this other saying by the Americans that you can always keep running but you cannot forever hide.
If the Supreme Court ruling which dismissed the NPP application to direct the Electoral Commission (EC) to provide them with the collation and pink results sheet is anything to go by, then if you are staunch NPP member or supporter you must pause and reflect on what lies ahead.
The Supreme Court in dismissing the application filed by the NPP to compel the EC to provide them with the collation and pink sheets results noted that all political parties including the NPP which contested the 2012 elections had representatives in the ECs strong room as well as on the ground during Election Day. The justices also stated that the NPP already have copies of the collation sheets and the pink results sheets.
If therefore, the NPP as being claimed by the Supreme Court have copies of the collation sheets and the 26,002 pink results sheets, why then would they turn round and ask the EC to provide them with that same information? If the NPP folks who have claimed repeatedly that they have solid evidence of election fraud, why are they reluctant to bring it to the open for all Ghanaians to see?
You have bought 26,002 oranges and later claimed that 11,916 of those oranges are rotten. Instead of producing the 11,916 rotten oranges for all to see you provided only three (3), yet you want a refund for all the 11,916 so-called rotten oranges. Is this fair? Is this something that can be taken to the bank?
Gradually, the truth is emerging. With the feet dragging attitude by the NPP, even some of their staunchest of supporters are shivering because the behavior of the petitioners leaves much to be desired.
We all want the case to be judged as soon as possible so that Ghanaians will know nothing but the truth in the matter. But if the petitioners who want to case to be judged as soon as possible are refusing to provide the evidence that will help in the speedy trial of the case, then where does that leave us?
Indeed the ruling by the Supreme Court today has sent the NPP crashing to the ground. Now Akufo-Addo has no option than to provide the so-called ‘mind blowing evidence’ he claims he has. Ghana will be a better place to live if Akufo-Addo stops this fishing expedition.
There is this principle that Ghanaians need to know. When you go to the bank and cash a cheque, you are required to count your money in front of the teller. Once you leave the bank, you cannot go back and proclaim that you were no given the right amount. Elections are won or lost at the polling station, where we all vote in the open.
Afterwards, the counting is done in the open and the results declared and signed off in the open by all party agents. When all this has been done, none should be allowed to go fishing for “irregularities” in order to annul the outcome of the elections after the overall results have been declared and certified. This is something we need to keep talking over until the Supreme Court comes out with the final verdict.
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