Accra, Ghana - The continuing court case on a petition filed by the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) against the results of the 7 December 2012 election and the death of the paramount chief of Accra were some of the major stories covered by the media in Ghana this week.
The newspapers also carried stories on the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament that opens in South Africa on Saturday.
“Election petition: Prez Mahama files response,” was the headline of the state-owned Graphic on the president’s detailed response to claims by the NPP that the results of the vote were rigged in his favour.
The petition was filed by presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey.
The Graphic said President Mahama indicated his intention to call 4,800 witnesses to state his case.
He said in his 15-page response that the petitioners were “seeking to subvert the Constitution and undermine the sovereign will of the people of Ghana by demanding from the Honourable Court an order annulling the results of the exercise of their fundamental rights under the Constitution”.
The President said the “the petitioners’ allegations are brazen attempts to find excuses for losing the 2012 presidential election”.
The response filed on behalf of the President by his lawyer, Mr Tony Lithur, said, “The whole petition lacks merit and should be dismissed.”
He is also demanding from the petitioners “particulars of names of persons who allegedly illegally padded and/or unlawfully reduced the votes, the polling stations, constituencies and regions where the alleged acts occurred and the votes affected in each such polling station, constituency and region”.
The state-owned Ghanaian Times in its story under the headline “President files challenge” said the President rebutted all the allegations in the NPP’s petition challenging the legitimacy of his declaration as winner of the 7 December election.
The President Mahama described all the allegations of the NPP as “brazen attempts to find excuses for losing the 2012 presidential election.”
The Graphic also gave prominence to a fall out of the election petition where the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is seeking to be part of the respondents because President Mahama stood on the ticket of the Party.
“Court rules Tuesday”, was the headline of the story which said the Supreme Court had fixed 22 January to decide whether or not to allow the ruling Party’s request.
The Ghanaian Times had the headline “NDC presents case” with the story saying the Supreme Court had fixed 22 January for ruling on whether to join the NDC as a party to the petition brought before it by the NPP to challenge the presidential results.
It said the nine-member panel of judges, chaired by Justice William Atuguba, fixed the date on Thursday 'after three hours of gruelling back-and-forth legal arguments by lawyers of the NDC, President John Manaha and the NPP'.
The NDC filed a motion at the Supreme Court praying to join the case claiming it had a direct interest in it as it would be affected by any decision of the court.
“King Tackie Twiah III is dead,” was the headline of the Graphic on the demise of the paramount chief of Accra.
The Graphic said the chief, known in private life ad Dr Jo Blankson, died in a hospital in London in December 2012 after a short illness.
It said rumours about his passing were rife long before he was pronounced dead by medical doctors in London.
“Stars ready for battle,” was the headline of the Ghanaian Times on the 29th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
It said Ghana’s young-looking Black Stars were odds on favourite to stun bookmakers.
The paper said Ghana was paired in an “all-too-tricky” Group B that consisted of two-time winners, DR Congo, Mali and little known Niger.
It added that the Black Stars were under tremendous pressure to break a 31-year jinx that had left the team “groping in the dark since it last captured the Golden Fleece in Libya in 1982”.
'Go, Go Stars,' was the headline of the lead story in the Ghanaian Times on Saturday while the Graphic's headline on the back page read 'Stars to shine tomorrow.'
The Graphic story said Ghana's Black Stars were bracing up for a tough opening match against DR Congo on Sunday fully aware of the potential threat the Congolese posed to the country's ambitions to end a 31-year fruitless search for a fifth continental title.
'The Ghanaian players are fully aware that they need a victory to give them a head start in Group B and they appear to be unnerved by reports of confusion in the camp of their opponents due to perennial problems of players' bonuses and a scathing attack launched on the Congolese FA by coach Claude Le Roy, who on Friday denied rumours he had quit the team over a row with his employers,' the paper.
Pana 20/01/2013