Heavy security at Supreme Court as election petition hearing kicks off
Scores of police and military personnel have massed up at various points of entry to the Supreme Court complex as the hearing of the presidential election petition filed by former President John Mahama gets underway.
Two police personnel each have also been stationed at both entrances leading to the Supreme Court where the hearing will take place while the rest have mounted barricades at various points including the Ghana School of Law entrance, main entrance to the Supreme Court Complex, the Ghana Library entrance and the Circuit court entrance.
Meanwhile, former President John Mahama (petitioner) and his legal team, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and her two deputies (first respondent) have arrived for the case.
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The court is to begin the hearing that will determine whether or not President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the validly elected President of the Republic.
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Meanwhile the Supreme Court has dismissed a request by the petitioner to have the petition hearing televised nationwide.
The court held that it had already decided to telecast the petition live and therefore President Mahama's request was moot.
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John Mahama, through his lawyers had said the live telecast of proceedings would be in the interest of fairness.
The previous presidential election petition to be heard by the apex court in 2012, filed by then candidate Akufo-Addo, was televised live.