News:
September 3, 2013
Minority Chief Whip, Dan Kwaku Botwe has said the concession by Nana Akufo Addo on his loss of the 2012 election petition at the Supreme Court, does not stop the New Patriotic Party(NPP) from seeking a review of the verdict delivered by the court.
According to him, the NPP’s constitution has vested power in the National Executive Council (NEC) of Party to take decisions that are binding and supersedes any individual stance of any party member on any decision irrespective of the person’s stature in the party.
The Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo Addo who was the first petitioner in the case in which the election and validity of President John Mahama was being contested at the Supreme Court, was quick to concede defeat by calling President John Mahama to congratulate him on his victory after the Court dismissed the case of the petitioners.
But barely 48 hours after the verdict the General Secretary of the NPP, Lawyer Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, has announced the possibility of the party seeking a review of the matter once the committee set up by the party to study the judgment is done with its work. This move by the party has got some political watchers claiming that indecision has plagued the party as its Presidential candidate and the party are singing different tunes and has been described as signs of worrying times for the party.
However speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Tuesday, Hon. Dan Botwe who is also the former General Secretary of the NPP disagreed with that assertion, adding that the NPP knows what it is about and will take out by a decision which will be in the best interest of the party.
‘’ The party we all follow has structures which we all respect, he’s made a statement, he knows he is the creature of the party and he submits himself to the party, we have a national council we say this is the decision, lets study it in detail after that we can advise whether we can use any of the other petitioners apart from Nana Akufo Addo to seek a review, that is the party’s decision for now’’ he said.
Hon. Dan Botwe who is also the MP for Okere said it may well be that if the party studies the findings of the committee and it’s satisfied with the judgment as put the Supreme Court, the NPP would have no option than to stay put with the court’s verdict.
Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov