Asiedu Nketia Is Always Dozing Off In Court…Doesn’t Follow Proceedings – Sammy Awuku

A Deputy Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Awuku, has hinted that "there is a problem" with the General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, following his utterances about the law suit filed against President John Dramani Mahama and the Electoral Commission (EC).

Sammy Awuku, in an interview with Okay FM, expressed regret over recent comments by the NDC General Secretary in relation to the NPP's Presidential Election Petition.

The leadership of the New Patriotic Party petitioned the Supreme Court, challenging the 2012 Presidential elections.

The petitioners; NPP Presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Vice Presidential candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party's National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, filed the petition in the highest court of the land to seek redress in their legal battle with the respondents in the case.

They accused the respondents; President John Dramani Mahama and Electoral Commission of rigging the 2012 elections.

According to the legal team of the NPP, they have pieced together evidence that vindicates Nana Addo and prayed the Supreme Court to be the final arbiter in the case.

Johnson Asiedu Nketia speaking to the media at the court premises on Tuesday, said, “the NPP’s argument is a ‘palm wine tapper’s’ argument; you [NPP] are alleging that there are irregularities in about 4709 polling stations and we [NDC] say let us know which of the 26,000 polling stations has got these irregularities so that when we are preparing, we will be looking at those specific 4709", adding that he "was surprised to hear that NPP say they are not alleging any fraud against NDC at all, but this is different from what they speak about on radio and other platforms; they describe us [NDC] as thieves, as people who have engaged in fraud.”

But to NPP Communicator says Asiedu Nketia’s outbursts does not come to him as a surprise.

According to him, the NDC Chief Scribe is fond of dozing and sometimes "sleeping" in the courtroom whiles proceedings unfold, and thus it is not surprising his (Asiedu's) attempt to mislead the general public. "In fact, Asiedu Nketia, General Mosquito; as for him, he always sleeps in the court. I have seen him on two occasions in court dozing off. So, maybe, General does not listen to some of the things [said in court] properly." he said. He said the NPP's petition is due to some irregularities the party found out in the electoral results, pointing out that the "wrong person" was declared victor in the elections. He debunked claims by the NDC General Secretary that NPP stalwarts argue differently on media platforms, explaining that the petitioners citing President John Mahama and the EC as respondents is a constitutional requirement. He stated if the Lawyers for the petitioners were not up to task; there wouldn't have been an 8-1 majority decision in favour of the NPP on Tuesday at the Supreme Court. He added that the arguments made by the Lawyers for the respondents that the plaintiffs should make available evidence claiming there were irregularities in the election results in about 4709 polling stations across the country are weak. To him, if the petitioners heed the calls by the NDC, it could "amount to tampering with evidence." He however stressed that the New Patriotic Party will “respect the verdict” of the court when the Supreme Court gives its ruling on the case.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana